The New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish: Nuevo Reino de Granada) was the name given to a group of 16th century Spanish colonial provinces in northern South America, corresponding mainly to modern Colombia. It became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717, and ceased to exist altogether with the latter's end in 1819 and the establishment of an independent Republic of Colombia.
Colonial history
Old map of the New Kingdom of Granada
In 1514, the Spanish first permanently settled in the area. With Santa Marta (founded on July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas) and Cartagena (1533), Spanish control of the coast was established, and the extension of colonial control into the interior could begin. The conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada colonised a large, inland area in the center of the region, by following the Magdalena River into the Andean cordillera, defeating the powerful Chibcha people and founding the city of Santa Fé de Bogotá (c. 1538, currently Bogotá) and naming the region El nuevo reino de Granada, "the new kingdom of Granada", after the kingdom of Granada which had existed until 1492 in southernmost Spain.
To establish civil government in New Granada, an Audiencia (a superior court) was established at Santa Fé de Bogotá in 1548, a body that combined executive and judicial authority. The Audiencia president served as the region's governor, and so the area was also referred to as a presidencia. In 1564, captaincy general was established for the Kingdom, with the office of captain general going to the Audiencia president. The jurisdiction of the Audiencia court over the surrounding provinces determined the territory corresponding to New Granada, as new provinces were created in the following years.
After the establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru, the governor was loosely dependent upon the Viceroy of Peru at Lima in administrative matters. But the slowness of communications between the two capitals led to the establishment of an independent Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717 (and its reestablishment in 1739 after a short interruption), under the Bourbon kings.
Administrative divisions
- See also: Corregidor (position)
The New Kingdom was organized several Governments and Provinces:
| Government/Province |
Capital |
Established |
Founder |
| Government of Santa Marta |
Santa Marta |
1525 |
Don Rodrigo de Bastidas |
| Government of Cartagena de Indias |
Cartagena de Indias |
1533 |
Don Pedro de Heredia
(Alternative Capital of Viceroyalty) |
| Government of Popayan |
Popayan |
1537 |
Don Sebastián de Belalcázar |
| Province of Pasto |
San Juan de Pasto |
1539 |
Don Lorenzo de Aldana |
| Government of Santa Fé (De Bogotá) |
Santa Fé de Bogota |
1538 |
Don Gonzalo Ximénez de Quezada
(Capital of Viceroyalty) |
| Government of Tunja |
Tunja |
1539 |
Don Gonzalo Suárez Rendón |
| Government of Antioquia |
Santa Fé de Antioquia |
1541 |
Don Jorge Robledo |
| Province of Chocó |
Quibdó |
1648 |
Manuel Cañizales |
| Government of Panama |
Ciudad de Panama |
1519 |
Don Pedro Arias Davila |
Vast Province of Guyana
(special province) |
Angostura |
1595 |
Don Antonio de Berríos |
Main cities
The largest cities of the New Kingdom of Granada in the 1791 Census were
- Cartagena de Indias - 154.304
- Santa Fé de Bogotá - 108.533
- Popayan - 56.783
- Santa Marta - 49.830
- Tunja - 43.850
- Mompóx - 24.332
See Also
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