1. Simón Bolívar The Battle of Boyacá

2. Beginning of the Battle
Background and
Beginning of the Battle
The Battle of Boyaca was the last battle of Simon Bolivar’s campaign to free New Grenada (today’s Colombia) from Spain
The battle took place near a bridge over the Boyaca River, for which the it was named
After a narrow victory by the rebels at the Vargas Swamp Battle, both the Spanish and rebels moved to the town of Bagota because it was lightly defended and would be an easy capture
Both forces approached Bagota on August 7, 1819
The rebel forces were led by Generals Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander; the Spanish by General José María Barreiro
General José María Barreiro
Francisco de Paula Santander

3. During the Battle of Boyaca
August 7, 1819 began with Spanish General Barreiro attempting to shift the forces of the Spanish Army to protect Bogota, which was in desperate need of reinforcement
 he had a force of 850 soldiers, in his elite vanguard, 160 skilled cavalry, and a main body of 1,800 and 3 cannons
By afternoon, the Spanish vanguard and cavalry had gone ahead of the main body to the bridge over River Boyaca, where they stopped and waited for the rest of the force to arrive
However, the rebel army was much closer than they anticipated, and spotted the Spanish, who mistook them for a small scout force
The rebel army split- some took on the elite vanguard, while the rest attacked the main body of the Spanish army which was just catching up

4. During the Battle of Boyaca
The rebel forces flanked the main body of the Spanish, forcing them to split
General Bareiro attempted to fight back, but the rebels attacked the center of his forces with bayonets and fire lances, crushing the main army
The elite Spanish vanguard successfully crossed the river, but was annihilated with heavy fire from from to back
 The rebel vanguard attacked the Spanish from the front, while the rest of the rebel army, having defeated the main body of the Spanish army, attacked from the flank
Seeing no way out, General Bareiro surrendered and the rebels were declared victorious
The battle lasted only 2 hours, and was an astounding victory for the rebels

5. Results of the Battle
The entire Spanish army, minus the 200 killed, plus Barreiro were captured (1,600)
The rebel army only had 63 casualties- 13 dead and 50 wounded
The rebels went forth to capture Bogota
The Battle of Boyaca was the last battle before New Grenada was declared a liberated and independent state

6. The Role of Simon Bolivar
Simon Bolivar led the rebel (or Patriot) forces in liberating New Grenada
At Boyaca, Bolivar was the one who led the Patriots into battle
 He ordered Santander to battle the Spanish vanguard while his forces battled the main body; who he quickly crushed and moved by to finish the Spanish elite
After defeating the Spanish, Bolivar moved on to capture Botoga and consequently freed New Grenada on August 10
He then set up a government with Santander as vice president and himself at the head of government

7. Boyaca Commemoration
Every year on August 6-7, Colombians and Venezuelans alike celebrate the victory at Boyaca
The city is decorated and celebrations take place throughout the two days
Although Bolivar led the rebel forces to victory, General Santander is often credited with the victory at Boyaca, as Bolivar quickly left New Grenada on other liberation campaigns
The bridge over the river Boyaca is no longer in use, but preserved as a landmark and symbol of independence in Colombia and South America alike

8. Bolivar Commemoration
Simon Bolivar is often hailed by Colombians as “The Liberator of New Grenada”
A statue of Bolivar on a horse is located in Cartagena, Colombia
There are 3-4 towns and cities in Colombia named in honor of Bolivar
He died December 17, 1830

9. Questions Q: For what was the Battle of Boyaca named?
A: the River Boyaca near/on which it was fought
Q: Who was the other rebel general at Boyaca? (not Bolivar)
A: General Francisco de Paula Santander
Q: What city were the rebels trying to capture?
A: Bogota

10. Works Cited https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Boyaca
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica
Minster, Christopher
(Author not stated)