Before Spanish Explorers

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Before Spanish Explorers

Prior to the Spanish conquest, Colombia was inhabited by the Chibcha‘s, and Cariban people, but the first people to establish villages were the Mesoamericans. They arrived around 1200 B.C. They introduced the farming of fruits and vegetables. The main things they farmed were potatoes and corn. They also made finally crafted artifacts from gold, and stone, and sometimes made baskets from grass. They were followed by a second wave of Mesoamericans around 500 B.C. By the 1500’s the most advanced culture was the Chibchas.
These Indian groups relied on agriculture, fishing and salt mining to live. They also made clothing and blankets to trade with other tribes. And lived in little very well organized towns connected by stone walkways.

Spanish Colonization

The Invasion by the Spanish consisted of conquistadors, administrators, and clergymen from the Roman Catholic church. The first Spanish explorers to enter Colombian territory were Alonso de Ojeda in 1499 and Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1500. 1510 is when Ojeda found Acandí on the western side of the Gulf of Aruba. In 1538 Jiménez de Quesada found the city of Bogotá, which is currently the capitol and largest city. Traveling from Peru a man by the name of Belalcázar found and established the cities of Popayán and Santiago for Spain.


During Colonial Rule

The social hierarchy was based in three parts: at the top was the people of Spanish decent, then the mestizos, people who were Spanish and Indian mixed, and the lowest class was the native Indians. In the colonies the person in charge was the viceroy. Next jurisdiction was the audiencia, this contained judges and a president, and they controlled the cities.
Colonial economy relied on cheap native
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Labor. The main thing
That helped Spanish economy was mining for precious metals, such as gold and copper. By the end of the 1700’s tobacco was one of the most exported goods from Colombia. The growth of agriculture was mainly due to the fact that a lot of the mineral and metal resources in Spain were starting to deploy.
The only religion permitted inside the colony was Roman Catholic. When the Spanish first came the clergymen forced all of the Indians to give up their gods and follow the Roman Catholic religion. Also they were forced to speak the Spanish language.



Struggle For Independence

When king
Phillip V took up the throne in Spain he decided they were going to have more control in the colonies and demanded that a tribute from the Indians be paid to Spain.

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