Republic of New Granada

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Republic of New Granada (1831–1858)

The Republic of New Granada was a centralist, unitary state in northern South America. It covered most of what is now Colombia and Panama, with smaller parts of today’s Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil. It formed after Gran Colombia dissolved in 1830, when Ecuador and Venezuela seceded. The flag was adopted on 9 May 1834.

Capital and people: The capital was Santa Fé de Bogotá. The main religion was Roman Catholicism. The motto was Libertad y Orden (Liberty and Order) and the currency was the peso. Around 2.24 million people lived there in 1851.

Government: It was a centralist republic with a president as head of state. Presidents included Domingo Caycedo (1831), Francisco de Paula Santander (1832–1837), and Mariano Ospina Rodríguez (1857–1858).

Key events and changes:
- The War of the Supremes (1839–1841) over church influence and regional autonomy, with border tensions with Ecuador.
- Panama attempted to break away in 1840 and 1850.
- In 1851, liberal reforms under President José Hilario López led to the emancipation of slaves, expulsion of the Jesuits, freedom of the press, and the abolition of the death penalty; conservatives opposed these changes, leading to civil strife.
- Liberal constitutional reforms in 1853.
- Civil war in 1854 under General José María Melo.
- In 1858, a federal constitution created the Granadine Confederation, organizing the territory into provinces and, later, cantons; between 1855 and 1857, seven states were created.
- Civil conflicts continued, and in 1861 Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera captured Bogotá and proclaimed himself president, pushing the country toward a more decentralized federation.