The Americas

New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish Empire)
AD 1538 - 1717

When Christopher Columbus first landed in the Bahamas on 12 October 1492 he began a process of colonisation and empire-building on the part of Spain. By 5 December 1492, Columbus had arrived at western Hispaniola, where he founded the colony of La Navidad and became its first viceroy. Then he sailed to eastern Cuba. This became the launch-pad for the creation of New Spain within the Spanish Colonies, formed when the greatest Aztec city, Tenochtitlan, was defeated in 1521. European colonisation of central and South American could begin in earnest.

The 'New Kingdom of Granada' (as opposed to the old kingdom of Granada in Spain) was created to encompass those territories which cover modern northern and central Colombia, almost all of Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama, northern Venezuela, and north-western Guyana. These were conquered from native peoples which included the Inca, Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona between 1509 and 1520 and collectively termed Nueva Reino de Granada, or simply Nueva Granada. On 29 July 1525, Santa Marta was founded, on 1 June 1533 Cartagena de Indias, and on 6 August 1538 Fe de Bogota. The latter became the capital of the new administration which was confirmed in 1543. Initially it was administered from Peru, until it became part of the viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717.

It was natives from either Columbia or Ecuador around AD 1200 who had contact with Polynesian islanders (of later French Polynesia). The location of the interaction is uncertain - whether it was on the South American coast or on the islands is impossible to tell without some archaeology to provide those clues - but DNA evidence (and the presence of the humble potato at both ends of the linking route) published in 2020 shows that the interaction took place around the given date.

(Additional information from External Link: Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago, DNA reveals (The Guardian).)

1538 - 1539

First governor of Granada.

1539 - 1542

1542 - 1545

1543

The province of Guatemala is defined by the establishment of a royal audiencia, superseding the authority of Panama over the southern Central American region. This region includes the provinces of Chiapas, Costa Rica (gained from New Granada), El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Farther south, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela, all part of the 'New Kingdom of Granada', fall permanently under the Spanish Colonial administration of Peru.

The port of Mompos was founded by the Spanish in 1537 on the banks of the Rio Magdalena

1545

1545 - 1547

1547 - 1550

1549 - 1554

On 17 July 1549 the royal audiencia of Santa Fe de Bogota is founded as an extension of the viceroyalty of Peru. From 1550 the kingdom of Granada is governed by audiencia until a new governor and president of the audiencia can be appointed.

1564 - 1574

First governor-president of the audiencia of Granada.

1574 - 1575

1575

Died 1575.

1575 - 1578

Granada is governed by the royal audiencia until a new governor can be selected.

1578 - 1580

1580 - 1582

1582 - 1585

1585 - 1590

1590 - 1597

1597 - 1602

Died 1602.

1602 - 1605

1605 - 1628

1628 - 1630

Granada is governed by the royal audiencia until a new governor can be selected.

1630 - 1637

1637 - 1645

1645 - 1654

1654 - 1659

1659 - 1660

1660 - 1662

Second term of office.

1662 - 1664

Died 1664.

1664 - 1666

Acting governor.

1666 - 1667

1667 - 1671

Spanish governor of New Granada (and of Cuba 1647-1653).

1670

The English privateer Henry Morgan takes the Peruvian port of Chagres, before capturing and sacking Panama City. The city is subsequently destroyed by fire. Several complaints are made to the Spanish crown against Villalba's administration and he is replaced by Melchor Linan y Cisneros, and later charged with robbing the dead.

1671 - 1674

Interim governor of New Granada (and viceroy of Peru 1678-1681).

1674 - 1678

Granada is governed by the royal audiencia until a new governor can be selected.

1678 - 1685

Died 1685.

1685 - 1686

1686 - 1691

1691 - 1694

Acting governor.

1694 - 1703

Second term of office.

1703 - 1710

1710 - 1711

1711 - 1712

Second term of office.

1712 - 1715

1715 - 1717

Acting governor.

1717

Archbishop of Santa Fe de Bogota, and acting governor.

1717

Second term of office as acting governor.

1717 - 1718

Archbishop of Santa Fe de Bogota, second term of office.

1717

The viceroyalty of New Granada is created from Peru's northern Spanish Colonial territories, Bogota, Panama, and Quito.

Viceroyalty of New Granada (Spanish Empire)
AD 1717 - 1810

The Spanish viceroyalty of New Granada was created out of some of the northern territories of Peru on 27 May 1717, namely Bogota, Cartagena de Indias, Guyana, Merida-La Grita, Panama, Popayan, Quito (modern Ecuador), Santa Marta, and Venezuela. It also extended briefly into Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. The new Spanish Colonial administration became effective in 1718 but its initial existence was short-lived. Following sixteen years of reincorporation into Peru it was permanently re-established in 1740.

(Additional information from the John De Cleene Archive.)

1718 - 1719

Acting viceroy.

1719 - 1724

1724

The viceroyalty is terminated and New Granada is reincorporated back into Peru until 1740.

1724 - 1731

Governor-president.

1731 - 1733

The civil commissioners of the Audiencia, Jose Martinez Malo, Jose Quintana Acebedo, Jorge Lozano y Peralta, and Jose Castilla, govern Granada.

1733 - 1737

Died 1737.

1737 - 1738

Acting governor-president, name unknown.

1738

Died 1738.

1739 - 1740

1740

The viceroyalty is permanently re-established.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Las Lajas in Ipiales is an example of early twentieth century architecture in ex-colonial New Granada, but it clearly continues an established tradition of colonial building

1740 - 1749

First re-established viceroy.

1749 - 1753

1753 - 1761

1761 - 1773

1773 - 1776

Spanish viceroy of New Granada (and of Peru 1776-1780).

1776 - 1781

Spanish viceroy of New Granada (and of New Spain 1787-1789).

1782

Died 1782.

1782 - 1789

1789

1789 - 1797

Spanish viceroy of New Granada (and of Cuba 1785-1789).

1797

Don Manuel Gual, a retired captain from the Caracas militia battalion, and Don José Maria España, a major justice of Macuto (a coastal town near Caracas in today's Varga's state), combine with Spanish political prisoners to form a conspiracy against Spanish rule. Gual and España are promptly executed.

1797 - 1803

1803 - 1810

President of the supreme governing junta (from 1810).

1806

Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda invades what is now western Venezuela, at La Vela de Coro in March 1806. Miranda seeks to establish an independent kingdom by the name of Colombia which will include all of Spanish America. Miranda initially captures a few coastal towns but is then quickly defeated.

1810

Various wars of independence break out across the Spanish Americas, including New Spain and Guatemala. Peru serves as a centre for the royalist opposition to these revolts. The viceroy, Abascal, reincorporates the Spanish Colonial provinces of Chile, Cordoba, La Paz and Potosi (both in modern Bolivia), and Quito (part of New Granada).

Spanish governors remain in nominal command of Granada, but in opposition to the 'United Provinces of New Granada', and 'governing' remotely from Panama when they have no such claim to do so.