Ecuadorian War of Independence

Quick Facts: Who was Ecuadorian War of Independence?

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Ecuadorian War of Independence

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The 1809–1822 conflict securing the independence of Quito from Spanish rule.

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Origins & Early Life

The Ecuadorian War of Independence, part of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early 19th century, was fought from 1809 to 1822 between Spain and several South American armies over control of the Real Audiencia of Quito, a Spanish colonial jurisdiction which later became the modern Republic of Ecuador. The war ended with the defeat of the Spanish forces at the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, which brought about the independence of all the lands of the Real Audiencia of Quito. The military campaign for the independence of the territory now known as Ecuador began after nearly three hundred years of Spanish colonization. Ecuador's capital, Quito, was a city of around ten thousand inhabitants. There, on August 10, 1809, came one of the first calls in Latin America for independence from Spain, led by the city's criollos, including Carlos de Montúfar and Bishop José Cuero y Caicedo.

Career & Major Achievements

The short-lived State of Quito was suppressed by Juan de Sámano in the Battle of Ibarra (1812). For the next 7 years, Ecuador remained firmly under Spanish control, until the wars of independence in South America turned decisively against them, when Simón Bolívar's victory at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819 sealed the independence of the former Viceroyalty of New Granada. To the south, José de San Martín landed the Liberating Expedition of Peru on the Peruvian coast on September 8, 1820, which with the blockade of the ports of Callao and Guayaquil by Lord Thomas Cochrane since September 1819, finally obtained the independence of the Viceroyalty of Perú, the center of Spanish power in South America. On October 9, 1820, the port city of Guayaquil, part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, proclaimed its independence after a brief and almost bloodless revolt against the local garrison. The leaders of the movement, Peruvian pro-independence officers from the colonial army led by colonel Gregorio Escobedo, second in command of the garrison, and Ecuadorian intellectuals and patriots summoned by José Joaquín de Olmedo, set up a Junta de Gobierno with a military force to defend the city and carry the independence movement to the other provinces of the country.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

News of Guayaquil's proclamation of independence spread rapidly to other cities in the Presidencia, and several quickly followed its example. Portoviejo declared its independence on October 18, 1820, and Cuenca—the economic center of the southern highlands—did the same on November 3, 1820. The military unit raised and financed in the Free Province of Guayaquil was named Division Protectora de Quito ("Division for the Protection of Quito"). It was to advance on the cities of Guaranda and Ambato in the central highlands, hoping to bring them into the independence movement, and cut all road communication between Quito and Guayaquil and Cuenca, forestalling any Royalist countermove from the north. The division, under the command of Venezuelan colonels Luis Urdaneta and León de Febres-Cordero, ringleaders of the revolt in Guayaquil, advanced out of the coastal plain towards the highlands, and by November 7, was ready to march into the Andes Mountains.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1809: 1809 Milestone — The Ecuadorian War of Independence, part of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early 19th century, was fought from 1809 to 1822 between Spain and several South American armies over control of the Real Audiencia of Quito, a Spanish colonial jurisdiction which later became the modern Republic of Ecuador.
2. 1812: 1812 Milestone — The short-lived State of Quito was suppressed by Juan de Sámano in the Battle of Ibarra (1812).
3. 1819: 1819 Milestone — For the next 7 years, Ecuador remained firmly under Spanish control, until the wars of independence in South America turned decisively against them, when Simón Bolívar's victory at the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819 sealed the independence of the former Viceroyalty of New Granada.
4. 1820: 1820 Milestone — To the south, José de San Martín landed the Liberating Expedition of Peru on the Peruvian coast on September 8, 1820, which with the blockade of the ports of Callao and Guayaquil by Lord Thomas Cochrane since September 1819, finally obtained the independence of the Viceroyalty of Perú, the center of Spanish power in South America.
5. 1822: 1822 Milestone — The war ended with the defeat of the Spanish forces at the Battle of Pichincha on May 24, 1822, which brought about the independence of all the lands of the Real Audiencia of Quito.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Ecuadorian War of Independence

True or False: “The initial call for independence in Quito on August 10, 1809, was immediately successful and led to the establishment of a lasting republic.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The short-lived State of Quito established in 1809 was quickly suppressed by Juan de Sámano during the Battle of Ibarra in 1812.

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