How a Vase Played a Key Role in Colombian Independence Day – History of July 20th

July 20th is celebrated today as Colombian Independence Day.

It’s a national holiday, and you’re likely to see Colombian Independence Day celebrations around the country and even abroad in countries with large Colombian immigrant populations. Colombian flags are displayed, there are commemorative acts, and in some places there are even parades.

But, what actually happened on July 20th? Why did at least some of the population want reforms and even independence in Colombia?

Why can it be debated if July 20th should even be celebrated as Colombia’s Independence Day? Why do some cities and regions of Colombia celebrate their own independence days?

And just what did all this have to do with a flower vase?

Read on to learn about the history behind July 20th and Colombia’s Independence Day, including the causes of the independence movement, why some Colombians may claim other dates are just as important or more important, what actually happened on Colombian Independence Day, and how did the Colombian Revolution and independence movement develop afterwards.

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When is Colombian Independence Day?

Colombian Independence Day is celebrated as a national holiday on July 20th.

It commemorates events that took place on July 20th, 1810, when the Bogotá cabildo, a body akin to a sort of city council, adopted a measure that basically declared itself an autonomous ruling council, in what could be seen as a sort of Colombian Declaration of Independence.

They adopted this declaration after an incident involving the smashing of a vase that nearly caused a riot.

When did Colombia Gain Independence?

What would become Colombia is usually seen as having actually truly gained its independence after the decisive Battle of Boyacá on August 7, 1819. This battle led to the collapse of most Spanish and loyalist forces remaining in Colombia.

A monument to the battle stands at the Bridge of Boyacá, not far from Bogotá.

However, some areas remained under royalist control. In fact, Cartagena was one of the last places to be fully liberated.

Most of Colombia was effectively liberated by this battle though, and the Republic of Colombia, was declared as an independent state shortly afterwards in 1819. This newly independent state originally was a union of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.

For this reason, it is usually called Gran Colombia today to differentiate it from the smaller, modern Republic of Colombia.

Why is the Significance of July 20th Debatable?

The designation of July 20th as Colombian Independence Day wasn’t made until 1873, more than 60 years after the event and 50 years after the independence of Colombia was achieved.

Even today, many cities and regions celebrate other days commemorating local acts of independence and rebellion.

Actually, there’s an argument to be made that July 20th shouldn’t be seen as a true independence day. In fact, the declaration often cited as the Colombian declaration of independence declared continued allegiance to a Spanish king.

Yea, it’s all a bit confusing.

The truth is the independence movement and wars in Colombia and its neighbors were messy.

Not only were they characterized by fighting between those favoring independence and loyalists, they also were frequently as much about local autonomy as independence from Spain.

In particular, there was conflict between federalism and centralism with the provinces at odds and even outright fighting Bogotá and vise versa.

In fact, Spanish forces were able to successfully reconquer Colombia temporarily in large party due to this lack of unity.

Of course, even after independence, Gran Colombia didn’t last very long, dissolving by 1831 largely due to the same issues of federalism versus centralism.

Even after that, the smaller modern Colombia, known as the Republic of New Granada, then the United States of Colombia before the current Republic of Colombia name was formally readopted in 1886, fought a series of civil wars over more or less echos of the same issue over the course of 19th century.

Events in Bogotá (or Santa Fe de Bogotá as it was called at the time), were arguably in many ways a local event rather than a national act, and other localities came to their own acts of rebellion or declarations of autonomy or independence in their own way and did not necessarily always see themselves as acting in a unified, national movement.

Furthermore, as noted above, the actual declaration of July 20, 1810 did not declare independence.

It even made explicit the continued allegiance to King Ferdinand VII (or Fernando VII in Spanish). There were declarations in other areas that went further and are arguably more significant in the break with Spain, which I’ll examine briefly towards the end of this article.

You could have a pretty interesting debate over whether the designation of July 20th as independence day was a useful attempt at promoting patriotic unity, collective identify, and nationalism through myth making after years of civil war or just another manifestation of Bogotá’s attempts to impose its centralized dominance on the provinces.

In this article we’ll be addressing the actual history of the events of July 20th.

And those events of July 20th were still significant even if it could be debated if other days could be seen as more significant or if there should even be one independence day of Colombia.

The events of July 20th helped clarify the set of grievances that were the foundations of the independence movement, and the day should be seen as, at the least, an important step in the move towards a full break with Spain.

History of Colombia’s Independence Day

Ok, let’s get into what actually happened and why on July 20, 1810.

As I noted above, the independence of Colombia is a bit complicated. So, I’m going to briefly establish some context by discussing some of the longer term causes of the Colombian revolution and independence.

Then, I’ll examine the more immediate events that created the political crisis into which the independence movements in Latin America emerged before finally addressing the events of July 2oth, including that bit about the vase, and its implications.

Criollos vs Peninsulares

The social and political hierarchy in the Spanish colonies was quite rigid.

At the top were the peninsulares.

They were people born in Spain, ie the Iberian Peninsula.

While by the early 1800s, they made up a tiny sliver of the colonial population, they were the most privileged. Perhaps most significantly, the overwhelming majority of positions in government were only assigned to peninsulares, many of which, were appointed without having spent significant time in the colonies.

Over time, this became a key grievance of the criollos.

Criollos were full blooded (ie white) Spanish born in the colonies.

By the late 1700s, most of the wealthiest landowners, merchants, doctors, and lawyers were criollos. Many were educated in Europe and had read the works of the Enlightenment. They would have followed events in the United States, France, and Haiti.

Many came to bitterly resent being denied access to the highest rungs of power and influence due to their status of being born in the colonies. Most of the key leaders of the independence movement in Colombia and rest of Spanish Latin America were criollos, and they certainly became the dominant political and social class after independence.

However, the lower social classes did play important roles in the independence movements as well.

The Comunero Revolt of 1781

The Comunero Revolt of 1781 is seen by some Colombian historians as an important precursor to independence.

This revolt began on March 16, 1781 in the town of Socorro in Santander. A local woman shopkeeper named Manuela Beltrán tore down notices announcing tax increases. There and in other areas, those with grievances over the taxes and other changes made during the Bourbon reforms formed local councils known as el común.

As many as 20,000 armed rebels assembled and marched on Bogotá. Royal officials met with them and agreed to meet their demands in June, and they disbanded.

However, the viceroy refused to implement the agreement and with reinforcements from the coastal military stronghold of Cartagena, squashed any further attempts at resistance.

The rebels of this movement adopted the slogan of “¡Viva el rey y muera el mal gobierno!” (“Long live the king and down with the bad government”) and calls for independence were not a significant part of the revolt.

Nonetheless, Colombian historiography usually sees it as an important precursor to independence for a couple reasons.

First, it makes clear that there were significant grievances over the form of Spanish rule in the colonies, in particular over the reassertion of royal authority over local colonial authorities made during the Bourbon reforms.

Second, it also involved the participation of working and artisan class people, who would also make up the brunt of the forces that fought in the independence wars.

Napoleon’s Occupation of Spain Sets off a Political Crisis

The most important development in sparking the discontent and questions over authority into full desires for independence in Spain’s colonies in the Americas was the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1808, Napoleon occupied Spain, presumably his ally in war against Portugal.

However, he eventually demanded that the Spanish King Charles IV and his son Ferdinand VII (Carlos and Fernando in Spanish) both abdicate and renounce their claims to the throne. Basically under arrest, they had little choice but to accept the demand, and Napoleon appointed his brother Josef as King of Spain.

This not only set off rebellion and a political crisis in Spain itself, but also raised the question over who had authority over the colonies.

Did maintaining the status quo mean the colonies were now loyal to Josef and Napoleon or remained loyal to the Spanish Bourbon kings?

Should the viceroys and other royal appointees be seen as representatives of the deposed Spanish monarchs or the French occupation forces?

In Spain, many cities created what amounted to opposition councils, called juntas, loyal to Fernando.

A Supreme Central Junta (or Junta Suprema Central y Gubernativa de España e Indias) was established to create a more centralized government and resistance to the French occupation.

This Supreme Junta allowed for some representatives of the colonies to participate, but many criollos felt they were underrepresented. The first juntas declaring themselves independent in the Americas took place in 1809 in Ecuador and Bolívia, although they were quickly suppressed.

January 1810 brought the dissolution of the Junta Central as a result of setbacks in the war against the French. In its place, a 5 person Regency was established. They called for a meeting of representatives known as the Cortes de Cádiz, to which representatives for the colonies were invited but still in much fewer numbers than the mainland.

Although this regency and government would later go on to successfully defeat the French, at the time it looked as if its collapse was imminent and many still felt the colonies were unfairly represented.

For those that favored independence or just more autonomy and self-government for the colonies, this was the opportunity to advance that agenda. Effectively, local juntas rejected the authority of the regency and the Cortes, declaring themselves autonomous and ruling in the name of Fernando VII until his return to the crown.

The first such place to do so was Caracas on April 10, 1810.

Within Colombia, cabildos declared themselves to be independent governing juntas first in Cartagena between May 22 and June 14, then in Santiago de Cali (Cali) on July 3, Pamplona in Santander on July 4, and Socorro on July 9.

This is also what happened on July 20, 1810 in Santa Fe de Bogotá, which carried great significance as the capital of the colony.

The Vase Incident

The events of July 20 are inextricably linked to the story of a vase.

There has been a tendency in Colombian lore and even historiography to present the events of the day as a spontaneous uprising that revealed the discontent of the population with the declaration of the junta being an inevitable outcome of what the people wanted.

However, most historians agree today that the events were largely planned and meant to provoke an incident.

Criollo leaders and members of the cabildo who favored greater autonomy or even independence chose July 20 since it was a Friday and market day when many would be out on the street.

Some of these criollos asked a prominent Spanish merchant named Joaquín González Llorente to lend them an ornate flower vase to decorate the table at a dinner hosting Antonio Villavicencio, who had been the colony’s representative at the meeting of the Supreme Junta in Spain and had endorsed the creation of the local governing juntas in Cartagena and elsewhere upon his return to the colony.

González Llorente refused to lend the vase as they predicted.

Here’s where there is a fair amount of mythology.

Some accounts of this story assert González Llorente refused arrogantly and insulted the criollos while others claim he refused politely and only because he simply felt the vase had been mistreated when he had loaned it out before.

In this latter version, it was the criollos who provoked González Llorente by insulting him, then shouting out to the public that he was insulting all those born in the Americas when he responded.

Regardless of what actually happened, what ensued was a heated argument in which the vase was smashed to smithereens.

The incident aroused passions in the street and soon the city was under threat of a riot with many people chanting about Spanish arrogance and mistreatment of the colonial population. It took the mayor’s intervention to prevent the crowd from storming González Llorente’s home and likely murdering him.

This now explosive situation forced the Viceroy to convene the cabildo for a meeting.

During this meeting, a declaration, now commonly referred to as the Acta de Independencia, was adopted that effectively made the Santa Fe cabildo its own independent governing junta.

As noted before, the act did explicitly reaffirm allegiance to King Fernando, but it did effectively reject the Spanish Regency’s rule while challenging the authority of royal appointees like the Viceroy.

It also carried strong symbolic importance since it was the capital of the viceroyalty or colony.

It also inspired further actions taken elsewhere that ultimately precipitated complete break with Spain even after Fernando’s return to the throne.

Visiting the Casa del Florero

By the way, you can visit González Llorente’s house.

It’s known as the Museo de la Independencia Casa del Florero. It’s located just off the Plaza Bolívar in the heart of Bogotá’s historic downtown.

It has a handful of exhibits on the causes of independence, the events of July 20th, and the independence wars. Learn more about it at the museum’s website.

This is actually one of the few museums in Bogotá I’ve never had a chance to visit, but it’s on my list of things I’d like to see. If you are visiting Bogotá, do check out my list of things to do in Bogotá I have done as well as my guide to the best areas to stay in Bogotá.

You could also consider doing a city tour of Bogotá like this one that includes a walking tour of the historic district where you can learn more about the city’s history, including the events of Colombian Independence Day.

Other Important Dates for Colombian Independence

So, now we’ve covered what actually happened on July 20,the day celebrated as Colombia’s independence date.

I mentioned the declaration of similar autonomous juntas in Cartagena, Cali, Pamplona, and Socorro that predate it as well as the Comunero Revolt, which is commemorated primarily in Santander.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the decisive battle that gave most of Colombia de facto independence was the Battle of Boyacá in August 1819.

There are two other significant declarations that you might hear people (especially people from where they occurred) reference as being more significant than July 20.

The first is August 6, 1810.

That’s the date Mompox, also sometimes called Mompos, an important colonial river port and hidden gem to visit today, declared itself completely independent.

The declaration is believed to have been motivated primarily by a desire for the river port to break from the control and jurisdiction of Cartagena. Troops from Cartagena reasserted its control a few months later. Although its “independence” was short lived, it was the first place to declare a complete break with Spain in Colombia.

The next is November 11, 1811.

That’s the date Cartagena’s Junta declared itself completely independent from Spain and established the sovereign Free State of Cartagena.

It was the first true functioning independent government in what became Colombia, and Cartagena would play a leading role in the independence wars until it was reconquered by the Spanish after a brutal siege in 1815.

The declaration and its role in independence is celebrated with the Fiestas de Noviembre annually, and it is also a national holiday. Also, the Colombian national anthem is from a poem written in homage to Cartagena’s Independence Day by Rafael Nuñez, the only Colombian president from the city.

Consequences of July 20 and Road to Independence

Unfortunately, the years following the declaration of autonomy in Bogotá saw internal strife, including among independence forces. This helped allow the Spanish to temporarily reconquer the colony.

La Patria Boba

While some areas such as Santa Marta remained royalist strongholds, most areas of what became Colombia had begun down a road of self-government by the end of 1810 with the more extreme declarations of absolute independence of Mompox and then Cartagena coming by the end of 1811.

Bogotá officially declared absolute independence in 1813 as the Free State of Cundinamarca.

However, the issue that can be seen as the main political issue of Colombia’s long 19th century and arguably of its entire history would play out even from this early date.

Rival factions emerged among the independence forces.

Many of the provinces such as Cartagena rejected the idea that Bogotá should reign supreme and favored federal systems over more centralized ones. Some places like Mompox even hoped to gain their own status as independent provinces.

The United Provinces of Nueva Granada was declared as a sort of federal union or confederation, although Bogotá, or the Free State of Cundinamarca, which advocated for its own central control rejected membership.

Simón Bolívar actually conquered Bogotá and forced it into the union in late 1814.

“Patriot” forces spent about as much time fighting each other as they did fighting the Spanish or royalist forces in places like Santa Marta during this period.

That led to this period from 1810-1815 being named the “patria boba” or “foolish fatherland.”

Meanwhile, the Spanish had succeeded in expelling the French and Fernando had returned to power by the end of 1813.

In February of 1815, he sent a force of over 10,000 men under Pablo Morillo to reconquer the Americas. Unable to rally a united resistance under his leadership, Bolívar fled into exile.

Morillo first retook Caracas before marching on Cartagena. After a siege of over 100 days, the city capitulated with much of its population starved.

Morillo encountered little resistance as he conquered the rest of Colombia, entering Bogotá on May 6, 1816.

Many independence leaders were executed, including Antonio Villavicencio, who had served as a military commander and politician for the independence forces.

Bolívar had attempted some ultimately unsuccessful campaigns in Venezuela after receiving supplies and men from Haitian president Alexandre Petión but failed to take Caracas in early 1818.

By early 1819, he had decided to change his tactics, and he launched a daring march across the flooded Llanos, or plains. His goal was to liberate Nueva Granada first, then his native Venezuela. It was this plan that led to the victory at Boyacá in August of that year.

He entered Bogotá three days later on August 10, 1819, establishing it and most of the rest of Colombia as fully independent.

Colombian Independence Day Celebrations

Now you know the full story of how a vase and its unceremonious destruction precipitated the events of Colombian Independence Day as well as why some may argue it was no Colombian Independence Day at all.

While political divisions and different views are still very much present in Colombia, and many cities such as Cartagena still celebrate their own independence or important civic days, the country at large does largely celebrate and commemorate independence on July 20th.

You’ll likely see lots of Colombian flags and people wearing Colombian national team jerseys and shirts on July 20th.

Plus, it is a holiday!

So, maybe there is something to that collective myth and national identity thing.

I hope you found this history of Colombian Independence Day interesting. You should be able to impress your Colombian friends with some impressive knowledge now.

If you’d like to learn more about Colombia’s history, I recommend checking out David Bushnell’s The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself and Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society by Frank Safford and Marco Palacios, considered the two best general works on Colombia’s history.

If you’re interested in learning more about the independence era, the book No Limits to their Sway about Cartagena’s independence era privateers is one of my favorite books on Colombia’s history and is highly readable and engaging for an academic history. You can read my review of it here.

Cheers and Happy Independence Day to Colombia!

Did you like this post?

You might also want to read more about Cartagena’s history. I’ve got an in depth post as well as a shorter, primer. If you’ll be traveling through Bogotá, I definitely recommend considering include a stop in the historic and charming town of Villa de Leyva nearby. You can also learn more about independence and Bolívar at the Quinta de Bolívar in Bogotá.