Revolt of the Comuneros (New Granada)
The comuneros revolt in New Granada in South America took place in the period from March to October, 1781.
In the period from 1740 had the population of New Granada, variously also violent, opposed the policy of the Spanish colonial government in the Viceroyalty of New Granada. Due to the Bourbon reforms once should the binding of the population of the colonies, which now surpassed that of the mother country in number, are amplified to Spain, secondly and thirdly strengthened their dependence reaches a higher tax revenues.
The relatively independent position of the town and community councils, the Cabildo, should be reduced. This contradicted the development on the North American continent, where the local colonies England just won their independence from the mother country.
Free trade should be made more difficult by the imposition of export duties and of punitive tariffs on imports that do not come from the mother country. Through the facilitation of imports from Spain, the incipient industry of New Granada should be disabled. The most effective measure the sales tax that Alcabala increased and the taxation of alcohol and tobacco should be raised. All of these measures would have diminished the influence and profits of the Creole elite.
The course of the uprising
The uprising began in the city of Socorro on March 16, 1781 conducted by the clerk Manuela Beltrán and quickly spread in the country. There are also made at meetings committees of citizens who were called El Common Market and the uprisings initiated. The uprising was indeed out of the upper class, he raised himself, however, with the slogans of unity of the stands even to the lower classes. Thus the Creole Juan Francisco Barbero was able to move in a short time between 10,000 and 20,000 rebels for a march on the capital of New Granada Bogota. Although the insurgents defeated initially opposing them sent government troops, however, held north of the capital on. There, an agreement with the representatives of the colonial power was signed in Chía, but this was explained immediately after the arrival of reinforcements from government forces forced invalid.
In the following months, the rebellious cities and towns were occupied by troops there to enforce the new tax laws. José Antonio Galán continued the resistance continued with a small rebel force, but was betrayed and executed in 1782 with some colleagues in Bogotá. In honor of Galán's a city in Colombia in 1881 renamed Galán.
The revolt of the comuneros also affected today lying in Venezuela Mérida cities and Timotes and was defeated there.