Revolt of The Comuneros (New Granada)

Revolt Of The Comuneros (New Granada)

The Revolt of the Comuneros was an uprising by the inhabitants of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (now Colombia and parts of Venezuela) against the Spanish authorities in 1781. While underlying causes may have been economic, ideas of freedom and self-government were expressed. These uprisings preceded the fight for liberation against Spanish colonialism that took place in the 19th century.

The conflict between the Comuneros in New Granada and the Spanish government began to heighten between March and October 1781. Previously, between 1740 and 1779, Neograndans had expressed displeasure—at times violently—about the long-standing conditions and policies enforced by the Spanish government. During the second half of the 18th century the Spanish government initiated a series of changes and reforms to the policies regarding the colonies, which involved increased taxes and establishing stricter control of the colonial government. These reforms were a catalyst to the Comunero Revolt of 1781.