Viceroyalty of New Granada

Quick Facts: Who was Viceroyalty of New Granada?

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Viceroyalty of New Granada

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Spanish viceroyalty governing northern South America, precursor to modern Colombia.

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Origins & Early Life

The Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish: Virreinato del Nuevo Reino de Granada [birejˈnato ðel ˈnweβo ˈrejno ðe ɣɾaˈnaða]), also called Viceroyalty of New Granada (Virreinato de la Nueva Granada) or Viceroyalty of Santa Fe, was the name given on 27 May 1717 to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in northern South America, corresponding to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Created in 1717 by King Felipe V, as part of a new territorial control policy, it was suspended in 1723 for financial problems. It was restored in 1739 until the independence movement suspended it again in 1810. The territory corresponding to Panama was incorporated in 1739. The provinces of Venezuela were separated from the Viceroyalty and assigned to the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1777.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In addition to those core areas, the territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada included Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, southwestern Suriname, parts of northwestern Brazil, and northern Peru. A strip along the Atlantic Ocean in Mosquito Coast was added by the Royal Decree of 20 November 1803, but the British battled for administrative control. Two centuries after the establishment of the New Kingdom of Granada in the 16th century, whose governor was dependent upon the Viceroy of Peru at Lima, and an audiencia at Santa Fe de Bogotá, today capital of the republic of Colombia, in 1717 the slowness of communications between the two capitals led to the creation of an independent Viceroyalty of New Granada. It was reestablished in 1739 after a short interruption. Other provinces corresponding to modern Ecuador, the eastern and southern parts of today's Venezuela, and Panama came together in a political unit under the jurisdiction of Bogotá, confirming that city as one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Sporadic attempts at reform were directed at increasing efficiency and centralizing authority, but control from Spain was never very effective. The rough and diverse geography of northern South America and the limited range of proper roads made travel and communications within the viceroyalty difficult. The establishment of an autonomous Captaincy General in Caracas in 1777 and the preservation of the older Audiencia of Quito, nominally subject to the Viceroy but for most purposes independent, was a response to the necessities of effectively governing the peripheral regions. Some analysts also consider that these measures reflected a degree of local traditions that eventually contributed to the differing political and national differences among these territories once they became independent in the nineteenth century and which the unifying efforts of Simón Bolívar could not overcome. The Spanish had never subjugated the Wayuu, but the two groups were more or less in a permanent state of war.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1717: 1717 Milestone — The Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish: Virreinato del Nuevo Reino de Granada [birejˈnato ðel ˈnweβo ˈrejno ðe ɣɾaˈnaða]), also called Viceroyalty of New Granada (Virreinato de la Nueva Granada) or Viceroyalty of Santa Fe, was the name given on 27 May 1717 to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in northern South America, corresponding to modern Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.
2. 1739: 1739 Milestone — It was restored in 1739 until the independence movement suspended it again in 1810.
3. 1777: 1777 Milestone — The provinces of Venezuela were separated from the Viceroyalty and assigned to the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1777.
4. 1803: 1803 Milestone — A strip along the Atlantic Ocean in Mosquito Coast was added by the Royal Decree of 20 November 1803, but the British battled for administrative control.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Viceroyalty of New Granada

True or False: “The Viceroyalty of New Granada was established solely due to the need for better communication between Bogotá and Lima.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While communications were a factor, its creation in 1717 was part of King Felipe V's broader new territorial control policy.

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