The history of the Republic of New Granada was marked by competing economic and political interests and rocked by violent conflicts and civil wars. One of the prime features of the political climate of the Republic was the position of the Roman Catholic Church and the level of autonomy for the federal states.
In 1839, a dispute arose over the dissolution of monasteries by the Congress of New Granada. This soon escalated into the War of the Supremes, which raged for the next two years and transformed into a conflict about regional autonomy and a border conflict with Ecuador. Panama tried unsuccessfully to break away from New Granada in 1840 and 1850.
In 1851 a Civil war took place, which was triggered by the Liberal reforms of President José Hilario López, which provided for the emancipation of slaves, the expulsion of the Jesuits, the granting of freedom of the press and the abolition of the death penalty.
As a reaction, Conservative and pro-slavery groups from Cauca and Antioquia departments, led by Julio Arboleda, Manuel Ibánez and Eusebio Borrero, revolted against liberal president José Hilario López, in an attempt to prevent emancipation of disenfranchised groups and abolition of slavery, in addition to a number of religious issues.
In 1853 there was a Liberal constitutional reform, and in 1854 there was another civil war under the dictatorship of General José María Melo. In 1858 a federal constitution was introduced. An uprising by General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera sparked a new three-year civil war in 1860. After the capture of Bogotá in 1861 by Mosquera, who proclaimed himself president, the country was renamed and given a new constitution to form the Granadine Confederation in response to demands for a decentralized administration for the country.
.svg)
