History of Ecuador

History of Ecuador

Ecuador's history is, in many ways, cyclical. It is a country that has always been struggling with social, political, economic and geographic challenges. The same factors that have shaped Ecuador's history over the past two centuries continue to dominate the country's landscape at the beginning of the 21st century.

During pre-Columbian times, a variety of indigenous groups coexisted for thousands of years in the territory we know today as Ecuador, before being colonized first by the Incas and later by the Spanish conquistadors. Although both conquests were carried out through brutal invasions, the original inhabitants suffered much more and for a longer period of time under Spanish rule than under the Incas.

During its colonial history, as part of the Viceroyalties of Peru and New Granada, the inhabitants of these lands had to face not only a group of new diseases for which they were not prepared, neither culturally nor immunologically, but also slavery and inequality. The economic decline of Spain, together with the rise of the new ideals of the Enlightenment and the consequent expansion of the independence movement throughout Latin America, which Ecuador did not fail to join, achieved that, after bloody struggles, the country gained independence from Spain on May 24, 1822. During the first years of independence, Ecuador was part of Simon Bolivar's Republic of Gran Colombia, which also included the present-day nations of Venezuela and Colombia. This association did not last long, and the establishment of Ecuador as a republic gave way to a period of strong Catholic Church influence. Eloy Alfaro and his followers fought for many secular reforms during the Liberal Revolution.

How was Ecuador born?

On May 13, 1830, the corporations and parents of Quito resolved to “build a free and independent State, with the peoples included in the Southern District and those who wish to join, through relations of nature and reciprocal coexistence”. Weeks later, in August, the First Constituent Assembly met in Riobamba. One of the problems they faced was how the new country would be baptized. The people of Guayaquil and Cuenca rejected the name Quito, so it was decided to call the new state after the French scholars who had visited years before to study the equinoctial line. Thus, Ecuador was born.

Pre-Hispanic Period

The current Republic of Ecuador is located in the heart of the region where the megalithic civilizations of the New World were born and developed. The populations of the pre-Inca period lived in clans, forming exogamous collectivities. The Valdivia culture extended from Manabí to the province of Santa Elena, becoming the first culture of the Americas. Some of these clans formed large tribes, and some even allied with each other to form powerful confederations, such as the Confederation of Quito. However, none of these confederations resisted the formidable thrust of the Quechuas. The Inca penetration, in the 15th century, was very painful, and many tribes remained insubmissive. However, once Quito was occupied by Huayna Capac's army (1493-1525), the Incas developed an extensive administrative and colonizing work.

Preeramic or Paleo-Indian Period

In the pre-ceramic phase, Las Vegas and El Inga constitute the genesis of this period, which began at the end of the last glaciation and lasted until 4200 B.C. Its presence is reflected in the bone remains and a large number of arrowheads, generally made of obsidian and basalt, as well as a variety of cutting and scraping instruments made from the same materials.

Formative or Agro-alpharero Period

Following Las Vegas and El Inga, the different cultures that science has determined according to their location and development began to take shape. Thus began the Formative Period. At the beginning of this period, the Machalilla, Valdivia and Chorrera cultures on the coast; Cotocollao and La Chimba in the highlands; and Pastaza and Chiguaza in the eastern region, had an archaic economy and incipient technology. These conditions were changing with the implementation of new forms of agriculture, the improvement of milling artifacts and the elaboration of ceramic implements, most of them created for religious purposes or for food processing and storage.

Regional or Agrominero Development Period

The Regional Development period determined for the first time the regional or territorial differences in the political and social organization of the peoples that formed it. Among the main peoples of this period were the Jambelí, Guangala, Bahía, Tejar-Daule, La Tolita and Jama Coaque cultures on the Ecuadorian coast, while in the highlands appeared Cerro Narrío and Alausí. The Tayos were also organized in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle.

Period of Integration or Ethnic Lordships

The human groups that integrated this period no longer limited themselves to adapting to the environment that surrounded them, but took advantage of it to improve their living conditions. The Cosangua-Píllaro, Capulí and Piartal-Tuza cultures were concentrated in the highlands; the Yasuní phase developed in the eastern region; while the Milagro, Manteña and Huancavilca cultures emerged on the coast.

The Kingdom of Quito

The existence of the Kingdom of Quito has been questioned by many historians, but its proposal has historical significance. It was formed by the Quitus, the Puruhaes and the Cañaris, which were the primitive peoples that inhabited the Andean regions of present-day Ecuador.

Their main settlement was in the sector where the city of Quito was later built, and its inhabitants were called Quitus. The Quitus were very advanced in astronomical studies, determining that they were settled in the middle of the world; they can even be compared with cultures such as the Egyptian. In addition, they formed a relatively small and well-organized confederation.

The Inca Conquest

In the middle of the 15th century, the Kingdom of Quito was conquered by the Inca Túpac Yupanqui, who, in command of a large army, set out from the south to expand his domain. At the beginning, the campaign was relatively easy for him, but then he had to face the Bracamoros, whom he could only dominate after long months of fighting.

Spanish Conquest

When the Spaniards arrived, the empire was mired in a civil war between two sons of the late Huayna Capac, following the sudden death of the designated successor, Ninan Cuyochi: Huáscar, appointed in Cusco after the death of Ninan Cuyochi, and Atahualpa, who revolted against Huáscar and triumphed. Almost immediately, Francisco Pizarro lured Atahualpa to an ambush in Cajamarca and made him prisoner; in spite of the fact that the indigenous monarch paid a high ransom, he was condemned to death and executed, after receiving the baptism. The sector corresponding to Quito was effectively occupied by Sebastián de Belalcázar, who is also responsible for the foundation of San Francisco de Quito in 1534, the first city founded in present-day Ecuador.

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Let's dive into the heart of Ecuador to explore the harmony and warmth emanating from its history, a legacy that has shaped this South American nation into the welcoming destination it is today. Get ready for a journey through time that will leave you eager to explore every corner of this magical country.

by Explorsierra Tourism Agency Ecuador