Hey guys! sorry for the long time no update, been kinda busy these last few weeks since term ended, but don't worry, here's a little update to kick this girl off for the summer.
This installment kicks off what's going on in the rest of Spanish America, beginning with Venezuela and Nueva Granada (Colombia). This isn't much actually, its pretty much a summary of things that happened in OTL, but I figured to give a little background on the area before letting the butterflies do their magic.
The Beginnings of Revolution: Nueva Granada
Simón Bolívar in 1812
The war in New Spain was by no means the only place to demand the fury of the Spanish Empire. Indeed by the end of 1810 nearly all of Spanish America had taken up arms against the metropolis. In events predating the Grito de Dolores, the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada was already convulsing with revolutionary fervor, as autonomous juntas were sprouting all about the Viceroyalty, deposing the local Royal authorities. In August 1809 the very first autonomous junta overtook Quito, with similar juntas popping up across Nueva Granada over the next few months such as in Santa Fe de Bogotá and Cartagena. Unfortunately most of these juntas would be stamped out as the Spanish authorities tried to maintain order. In April 1810, however, the revolutionary spirit had crossed into the Captaincy General of Venezuela, with the deposition of both the Royal Governor and the Captain General in Caracas. Led by famed Venezuelan nationalist Francisco de Miranda and a young ambitious local criollo by the name of Simón Bolívar, the movement would band together similar juntas that had already followed Caracas’ lead. They convened a congress several months later, and in a bold move unseen anywhere else in Spanish America, declared complete and total independence from Spain, with the establishment of a republic on 5 July 1811.
Almost immediately the newborn republic was out of its league, as the Spanish began to fight back and retake the renegade territory. One did not have to search hard, as the Venezuelan intendancies of Guyana and Maracaibo held a strong Royalist element and did not react well to separation from Spain. Despite the Republican’s best efforts Venezuela remained divided as neither side refused to budge. It was then without warning that disaster struck the infant republic. On the afternoon of 26 March 1812 a devastating earthquake tore a path of death and destruction through Northern Venezuela, all but destroying Caracas and killing an estimated 15,000-20,000 people. The earthquake also proved to be the final nail for the coffin of the “First” Venezuelan Republic, as most of the devastation was centered among the provinces held by the Republicans. Taking this as a sign of divine retribution on their part, the Royalists went in for the kill, with the capitulation of Miranda’s forces on 25 July. Bolívar meanwhile escaped Venezuela and by the following year was leading a contingent of soldiers from the newly formed United Provinces of Nueva Granada in a campaign to retake Venezuela from the Spanish. True to his word Bolívar would triumphantly enter Caracas on 6 August 1813 and reestablish the Republic. Unfortunately for the Republicans they had no time to rejoice as a new threat emerged, charging out from the
Llanos or southern plains. A seemingly ragtag, but ruthless, army of mestizo Llaneros (including many freed slaves) led by their blood thirsty leader José Boves set out across Venezuela to bring down the Republic, as they saw it as a sign of Criollo privilege. Unable to stop Boves and his hordes Bolívar relented once more, leaving Caracas to the Royalists a second time. Bolívar would return to Tunja, the capital of the UPNG, and once again lead its armies, this time against rebels in Bogotá and Santa Marta who refused to accept the authority of the UPNG. Bolívar managed to reel in Bogotá in December 1814, but Santa Marta resulted in a loss for the young general as Cartagena refused to allow Bolívar passage to Santa Marta, forcing Bolívar to attack Cartagena instead. After an inconclusive siege and the looming threat of Reconquista by the Spanish (fresh from combat in Europe, as well as from their recent defeat in Mexico) Bolívar resigned the Viceroyalty to its fate and left Cartagena for Jamaica in May 1815. There Bolívar would attempt to garner support for the Independence of Spanish America from the great powers (specifically Britain but without much to show for it). As 1815 drew to a close Bolívar would decide to cross the sea once more, leaving Jamaica in December for Veracruz, where he would hope to acquire any help from the new Mexican Republic.
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Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
