Culture Posts: History #1 -- Colombian Independence

July 20, 2008

[FONT=Book Antiqua]The 20th of July is a Colombian national holiday in celebration of the first movement for Independence from Spain which began on the 20th of July 1810. On this day, a group of citizens known as Criollos (those of Spanish descent born in the Americas rather than in Spain), went to Don Jos Gonzlez Llorente顴s home (a Spaniard) on the pretext of borrowing a flower vase for a dinner that was to honor the Royal Commissioner Antonio Villavicencio. This event without any apparent significance unleashed a confrontation between the Criollos and the Spanish that ended in the eventual independence of Colombia. [/FONT]

[FONT=Book Antiqua]The roots of this conflict are found in the years leading up to the 1810 Flower Vase Incident. The Spanish ruled through local governments called Juntas and Cabildos. In the Juntas that were held in the years prior to 1810, the Criollos were very poorly represented -- 36 Spanish representatives to 9 Criollos. The Criollos were very dissatisfied. They felt that their needs were not well represented and many had secretly begun to discuss creating an independent nation state.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]In an act of protest, they had soon formed a secret group or Junta that included several prominent Criollo civil authorities and intellectuals. They began meeting in the homes of the members and then moved their meetings to the Astronomical Observatory, whose director was Francisco Jos de Caldas. In the meetings, they devised a plan to provoke a limited and temporary public disturbance or conflict which could then give rise to the overall public feel of discontent with the Royalists of Spain. Their hope was to then take control away from the Spanish.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]They chose to stage the event on the 20th of July because it was Market Day (Da del Mercado) and the main Plaza (La Plaza Principal) would be full of common citizens. On that day, a little before noon, Luis de Rubio went to Llorente’s store to ask to borrow a flower vase as a decoration for the dinner in honor of Villavicencio. Llorente denied his request explaining that he had let others borrow the vase and they had done damage to the vase and it was losing its value as a result. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]At that very moment, Francisco Jos魩 de Caldas “happened” by in the company of Antonio Morales. They greeted Llorente and then de Rubio began explaining that Llorente wouldn’t let him borrow the vase and Morales began yelling toward the people at the square that Llorente was using bad language in referring to Villavicencio and other Criollos. Something that Llorente categorically denied.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]Meanwhile, the other members of the group began to disperse through the crowded Marketplace yelling things like: “They are insulting the Americans!” “We want our own Junta!” “Down with the government!” “Let the Bonapartes die!” etc. The people in the market began to become enraged. Indians, Mestizos, Criollos, rich and poor began to throw rocks and break windows. The Viceroy, the military and the Spanish began to worry. The Criollos declared a new government “la Junta del Gobierno” which was to replace the Viceroy. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]This was just the beginning -- Colombia’s first step toward independence. There were many additional protests, considerable violence, and a war before Colombia would become independent. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]While in Bogot, I recommend that you visit the Museum of the Flower Vase or the House of the 20th of July. Take pictures with your kids and teach them the history of Colombian Independence. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Book Antiqua]Below you will find the information about the museum. [/FONT]