Colombia History

Colombia History is the subject that studies the history of the foundation and development of the Colombian nation since the discovery of its land by the Spaniards to current days. Generally it includes the Pre-Hispanic periods, but the existence of many different groups and peoples in the territory of what is today Colombia obliges to consider it separately like Pre-Hispanic Colombia. The history of Colombia is related with the Latin America and South America History.

Normally, the History of Colombia is divided in the following periods of time: the discovery and conquer of the territory by the Spaniards during the 16th century; the colonial time (17th and 18th centuries), the time of the independence from Spain (the first two decades of the 18th century), the consolidation of the Republic (1821 - 1888) and the 20th century.

The 16th century was a period when the Spaniard explorers discovered the Colombian territory, as the rest of South America, subjecting the indigenous population and founding the first cities in the Americas. At the end of the 17th century the colonial system was already established. The Colombian Colony is one of the most important periods of its history, because it created the main elements of identity of what is today the Colombian nation like its language, traditions, mentality, religiosity and politics. The 17th century had several revolutions and Europe and North America that would have influences in the growing Colombian nationalism. The two first decades of the 19th century were of battles and political discussions in how the new nation would be established. After the expulsion of the Spaniards in 1819, the fathers of the nation founded the new country that included Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, but that was dissolved in 1830.

The 19th century was a time of deep political instability trying to form the conception of state. Fights of power among different groups caused 8 big civil wars in that century (1839 - 1841, 1851, 1854, 1859, 1862, 1876 - 1877, 1884 - 1885, 1895 and 1899 - 1902).