History of Ecuador-
The tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed, by conquest and marriage, into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809. In 1819, Ecuador joined Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama in a confederacy known as Greater Colombia.
When Greater Colombia collapsed in 1830, Ecuador became independent. Revolts and dictatorships followed; it had 48 presidents during the first 131 years of the republic. Conservatives ruled until the revolution of 1895 ushered in nearly a half century of Radical Liberal rule, during which the church was disestablished and freedom of worship, speech, and press was introduced. Although it was under military rule in the 1970s, the country did not experience the violence and repression characteristic of other Latin American military regimes. Its last 30 years of democracy, however, have been largely ineffectual because of a weak executive branch and a strong, fractious Congress.
Peru invaded Ecuador in 1941 and seized a large tract of Ecuadorian territory in the disputed Amazon region. In 1981 and 1995 war broke out again. In May 1999, Ecuador and Peru signed a treaty ending the nearly 60-year border dispute.
EARLY ECUADOR
The native people of Ecuador grew crops of maize, beans, potatoes and squash. They kept dogs and guinea pigs for meat. Many of them were skilled potters and metalworkers in gold, silver and copper. However in the late 15th century they were conquered by the Incas.
The Spaniards first sighted the coast of Ecuador in 1526 and they soon turned to conquest. The Spaniards conquered what is now Ecuador in 1534. The Spaniards had already conquered the Incas in what is now Peru. However Inca resistance continued further north. Francisco Pizarro's follower, Sebastian de Benalcazar led another army into Ecuador from the south and he gradually crushed the remaining Incas resistance in the region.
In 1534 the Spaniards founded the city of Quito on the remains of a captured Inca city. Guayaquil was founded in 1535. Cuenca was founded in 1557.
However the diseases brought by the Spaniards, especially smallpox killed many more of the native people than the soldiers. With no resistance to European diseases the people of Ecuador were decimated.
Meanwhile much of the land, and people of Ecuador were shared out among the Spaniards. They owned large estates, which were worked by the native people, who were serfs.
The Spanish also brought slaves from Africa to Ecuador to work on sugar plantations. (Today many Ecuadorians are of mixed race, part Spanish, part Native South American and part African).
In the 16th and 17th centuries Ecuador was part of the viceroyalty of Peru but, after 1563, it was allowed some autonomy. Quito became the capital and it prospered partly because it was on the road between Lima and Cartagena. The bishopric of Quito was founded in 1545. However in the 1690s Ecuador suffered more epidemics which decimated the population.
Then in 1717 Ecuador was made part of the viceroyalty of Nueva Granada. It was returned to Peru in 1723 but became part of Nueva Granada again in 1740.
INDEPENDENT ECUADOR
In the 18th century Ecuador suffered an economic recession. Furthermore in the late 18th century and the early 19th century the people of Ecuador, like other South Americans, became discontented with Spanish rule. People in Quito held an uprising in August 1809 but it was quickly crushed. Ecuador broke away again in 1820 and the people appealed to Simon Bolivar for help. His lieutenant Antonio Jose de Sucre won the battle of Pichincha on 24 May 1822, which guaranteed Ecuadorian independence. Ecuador became part of Gran Colombia with Colombia and Venezuela.
In 1828-1829 Ecuador was involved in a war with Peru over the border. However Ecuador withdrew from Gran Colombia in 1830. The new country took its name from the Spanish word for Equator.
A Venezuelan general Juan Jose Flores became the first President of Ecuador. He reigned from 1831 to 1835 and from 1839 to 1845. Meanwhile slavery was abolished in Ecuador in 1851.
Meanwhile there were tensions between different regions of the Ecuador. Finally in 1859 Ecuador split. This was known as the Terrible Year.
Gabriel Garcia Moreno (1821-1875) quelled the rebellions and made Ecuador a single nation again. In 1861 he made himself president. Moreno was a conservative who ruled with a heavy hand. However he did restore order and promoted economic development. He also made Roman Catholicism the state religion. However Moreno was assassinated in 1875.
General Ignacio de Veintimilla succeeded him. He ruled as a dictator of Ecuador until 1884 when constitutional government was restored.
In the late 19th and early 20th century Ecuador's economy flourished. Panama hats were made in the country and exports of cocoa boomed.
The tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed, by conquest and marriage, into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809. In 1819, Ecuador joined Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama in a confederacy known as Greater Colombia.
When Greater Colombia collapsed in 1830, Ecuador became independent. Revolts and dictatorships followed; it had 48 presidents during the first 131 years of the republic. Conservatives ruled until the revolution of 1895 ushered in nearly a half century of Radical Liberal rule, during which the church was disestablished and freedom of worship, speech, and press was introduced. Although it was under military rule in the 1970s, the country did not experience the violence and repression characteristic of other Latin American military regimes. Its last 30 years of democracy, however, have been largely ineffectual because of a weak executive branch and a strong, fractious Congress.
Peru invaded Ecuador in 1941 and seized a large tract of Ecuadorian territory in the disputed Amazon region. In 1981 and 1995 war broke out again. In May 1999, Ecuador and Peru signed a treaty ending the nearly 60-year border dispute.
EARLY ECUADOR
The native people of Ecuador grew crops of maize, beans, potatoes and squash. They kept dogs and guinea pigs for meat. Many of them were skilled potters and metalworkers in gold, silver and copper. However in the late 15th century they were conquered by the Incas.
The Spaniards first sighted the coast of Ecuador in 1526 and they soon turned to conquest. The Spaniards conquered what is now Ecuador in 1534. The Spaniards had already conquered the Incas in what is now Peru. However Inca resistance continued further north. Francisco Pizarro's follower, Sebastian de Benalcazar led another army into Ecuador from the south and he gradually crushed the remaining Incas resistance in the region.
In 1534 the Spaniards founded the city of Quito on the remains of a captured Inca city. Guayaquil was founded in 1535. Cuenca was founded in 1557.
However the diseases brought by the Spaniards, especially smallpox killed many more of the native people than the soldiers. With no resistance to European diseases the people of Ecuador were decimated.
Meanwhile much of the land, and people of Ecuador were shared out among the Spaniards. They owned large estates, which were worked by the native people, who were serfs.
The Spanish also brought slaves from Africa to Ecuador to work on sugar plantations. (Today many Ecuadorians are of mixed race, part Spanish, part Native South American and part African).
In the 16th and 17th centuries Ecuador was part of the viceroyalty of Peru but, after 1563, it was allowed some autonomy. Quito became the capital and it prospered partly because it was on the road between Lima and Cartagena. The bishopric of Quito was founded in 1545. However in the 1690s Ecuador suffered more epidemics which decimated the population.
Then in 1717 Ecuador was made part of the viceroyalty of Nueva Granada. It was returned to Peru in 1723 but became part of Nueva Granada again in 1740.
INDEPENDENT ECUADOR
In the 18th century Ecuador suffered an economic recession. Furthermore in the late 18th century and the early 19th century the people of Ecuador, like other South Americans, became discontented with Spanish rule. People in Quito held an uprising in August 1809 but it was quickly crushed. Ecuador broke away again in 1820 and the people appealed to Simon Bolivar for help. His lieutenant Antonio Jose de Sucre won the battle of Pichincha on 24 May 1822, which guaranteed Ecuadorian independence. Ecuador became part of Gran Colombia with Colombia and Venezuela.
In 1828-1829 Ecuador was involved in a war with Peru over the border. However Ecuador withdrew from Gran Colombia in 1830. The new country took its name from the Spanish word for Equator.
A Venezuelan general Juan Jose Flores became the first President of Ecuador. He reigned from 1831 to 1835 and from 1839 to 1845. Meanwhile slavery was abolished in Ecuador in 1851.
Meanwhile there were tensions between different regions of the Ecuador. Finally in 1859 Ecuador split. This was known as the Terrible Year.
Gabriel Garcia Moreno (1821-1875) quelled the rebellions and made Ecuador a single nation again. In 1861 he made himself president. Moreno was a conservative who ruled with a heavy hand. However he did restore order and promoted economic development. He also made Roman Catholicism the state religion. However Moreno was assassinated in 1875.
General Ignacio de Veintimilla succeeded him. He ruled as a dictator of Ecuador until 1884 when constitutional government was restored.
In the late 19th and early 20th century Ecuador's economy flourished. Panama hats were made in the country and exports of cocoa boomed.