Liberation Campaign of New Granada

Simón Bolívar’s 1819 campaign crossed the Andes from Venezuela and defeated Spanish forces at the Battle of Boyacá, securing New Granada’s independence.

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Venezuelan War of Independence: The conflict from 1810 to 1823 in which Venezuela broke from Spanish rule. Bolívar’s campaign began from the Venezuelan struggle and relied on its Patriot forces.
Republic of Colombia (Gran Colombia): A republic established in 1819 that united territories now belonging to Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. New Granada’s liberation enabled the state Bolívar sought to build across northern South America.
Simón Bolívar: A Venezuelan military and political leader who played a central role in South American independence from Spain. He planned and commanded the campaign that liberated New Granada.
Battle of Boyacá: An 1819 battle in which Patriot forces defeated the Spanish army near Tunja, opening the way to Bogotá. This decisive engagement turned the campaign into a liberation of the capital.
Spanish reconquest of New Granada: The Spanish restoration of control over much of New Granada beginning in 1815 under Pablo Morillo. The reconquest made the liberation of the territory a central military objective.
Independence of Colombia: The process by which territories of present-day Colombia ended Spanish rule during the early nineteenth century. The campaign’s victory secured the independence of New Granada, a decisive stage in that process.
José Antonio Anzoátegui: A Venezuelan general who served in Bolívar’s independence army. He commanded Patriot troops in the campaign and was killed shortly after Boyacá.
Battle of Pantano de Vargas: A July 1819 battle in which Patriot forces fought Spanish troops near Paipa during Bolívar’s campaign. It was a pivotal encounter during the hazardous advance across the Andes.
Pablo Morillo: A Spanish general who led royalist forces in Venezuela and New Granada during the independence wars. His reconquest campaign established the royalist power Bolívar sought to undo.
Battle of Carabobo: A 1821 battle in which Patriot forces secured Venezuelan independence from Spain. The New Granadan victory helped create the strategic base for Bolívar’s later campaign in Venezuela.