South America · Independence and the wars of liberation
Guayaquil Junta
1820–1822
The independence of Ecuador began with the Guayaquil Revolution of 9 October 1820, when the port city of Guayaquil rose against Spanish rule and proclaimed itself a free province (the Provincia Libre de Guayaquil). The junta, led by the poet-statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo, organized a division and appealed to both Simón Bolívar (in the north) and José de San Martín (in the south) for military support to liberate the highlands, still held by royalists in Quito.
- Existed
- 1820–1822
- Shown on the map
- 1812–1813
- Peak area
- 140k km²
- Region
- South America
Overview
The independence of Ecuador began with the Guayaquil Revolution of 9 October 1820, when the port city of Guayaquil rose against Spanish rule and proclaimed itself a free province (the Provincia Libre de Guayaquil). The junta, led by the poet-statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo, organized a division and appealed to both Simón Bolívar (in the north) and José de San Martín (in the south) for military support to liberate the highlands, still held by royalists in Quito.
History
The decisive campaign was led by Bolívar's ablest lieutenant, Antonio José de Sucre. After a difficult campaign, Sucre's patriot army won the Battle of Pichincha on 24 May 1822, fought on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano overlooking Quito. The victory secured the independence of the Audiencia of Quito (Ecuador) from Spain.
Decline and legacy
Shortly afterward, the famous and enigmatic Guayaquil Conference (26–27 July 1822) took place between Bolívar and San Martín. Its content remains one of the great mysteries of Latin American history, but its outcome was clear: San Martín withdrew from public life, leaving Bolívar to complete the liberation of Peru. Guayaquil and the rest of Ecuador were incorporated into Bolívar's Gran Colombia, over the objections of some Guayaquileños who had favored full independence or union with Peru.
Common questions
- What was Guayaquil Junta?
- The independence of Ecuador began with the Guayaquil Revolution of 9 October 1820, when the port city of Guayaquil rose against Spanish rule and proclaimed itself a free province (the Provincia Libre de Guayaquil). The junta, led by the poet-statesman José Joaquín de Olmedo, organized a division and appealed to both Simón Bolívar (in the north) and José de San Martín (in the south) for military support to liberate the highlands, still held by royalists in Quito.
- When did Guayaquil Junta exist?
- Guayaquil Junta existed 1820–1822. On this map it is drawn 1812–1813.
- How large was Guayaquil Junta?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Guayaquil Junta covered about 140,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- Who ruled Guayaquil Junta?
- The decisive campaign was led by Bolívar's ablest lieutenant, Antonio José de Sucre. After a difficult campaign, Sucre's patriot army won the Battle of Pichincha on 24 May 1822, fought on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano overlooking Quito.
- How did Guayaquil Junta end?
- Shortly afterward, the famous and enigmatic Guayaquil Conference (26–27 July 1822) took place between Bolívar and San Martín. Its content remains one of the great mysteries of Latin American history, but its outcome was clear: San Martín withdrew from public life, leaving Bolívar to complete the liberation of Peru.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. It names English Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica and the World History Encyclopedia as the basis of these profiles, supplemented by academic and museum sources and, for recent events, by reputable news outlets. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Ecuadorian War of Independence en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuadorian_War_of_Independence
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
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