Colonial Era & Independence
Spanish Colonial Rule (1534–1822)
In December 1534, Sebastián de Benalcázar founded the city of San Francisco de Quito on the ruins of the Inca city. Ecuador became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, later the Viceroyalty of New Granada (with Bogotá as the capital). The colonial period brought:
- The Encomienda — A system of forced labor that condemned the indigenous population to slavery. Millions died from introduced diseases (smallpox, measles) and overwork.
- Missionization — Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits built the magnificent churches that today make up Quito's old town. The "Quiteña School" of religious art became world-famous.
- The Geodesic Expedition (1736–1744) — A French expedition led by Charles-Marie de La Condamine came to Quito to measure the shape of the Earth at the equator. This expedition gave the country its name: "Ecuador" = Equator.
Independence (1822)
On May 24, 1822, Antonio José de Sucre, Marshal of Simón Bolívar, defeated the Spanish troops in the Battle of Pichincha — on the slopes of the volcano directly above Quito. Ecuador became part of Bolívar's "Gran Colombia" (together with Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama). When Gran Colombia broke apart in 1830, Ecuador became an independent republic on May 13, 1830.
Turbulent Republic
Ecuador's history since independence has been marked by political instability: Over 80 governments in less than 200 years, numerous coups, and a deep divide between the conservative Sierra (Quito) and the liberal Costa (Guayaquil). In 1941, Ecuador lost a large part of its Amazon territory in a war against Peru — a national trauma that was not finally resolved until 1998.
The oil boom from the 1970s transformed the economy, but also brought environmental destruction in the Amazon (Texaco/Chevron scandal) and a growing dependence on oil prices. In 2000, President Jamil Mahuad dollarized the economy — after a catastrophic banking crisis, the US dollar replaced the national currency, the Sucre. This decision stabilized the economy in the long term but led to massive protests and Mahuad's overthrow in the short term.
