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Republic of New Granada (1831-1856) (Colombia)

Republica de Nueva Granada

Last modified: 2010-01-09 by dov gutterman
Keywords: colombia | new granada | nueva granada | granada |
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image by Jaume olle', 20 October 2001



See also:


Overview

The Republic was established after the dissolvement of the Republic of Colombia (Great Colombia) with seccession of Ecuador (Quito, Guayaquil and Azuay) and Venezuela (with Orinoco, Apure and Zulia) and was formed by the departments of  Boyaca, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Magdalena and  Istmo, all in the current Republic of Colombia (except Istmo that is the current Panama). On November 1831 those departments created the Republic of Nueva Granada, but nothing was established about symbols. Old symbols were confirmed provisory by the National Convention of 17 Dicember 1831. It is not clear what flag was it: Restrepo believe that is the flag with two cornucopias of Great Colombia. While new symbols were discused some proposals were issued. On 9 May 1834, the national flag was adopted and was used until 26 November 1861, with the greatcolombian colors in Veles arrangement. Merchant ensign has the eighpointed star in white. In 1851 new civil war when conservative ans slavist from Cauca and Antioquia, led by Manuel Ibánez, Julio Arboleda and Eusebio Borrero, revolted against liberal president  José Hilario López trying to stop the process of liberation of slaves and for some religious affairs.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


Proposals

Proposal based in the old Cartagena colors


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Ratio 2:3. Adopted: Never. The flag is based is the old Republic of Cartagena colours.
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Flagmaster quote similar (same?) proposal dated 24 December 1833 from Alejandro Veles, but it must be a mistake and the correct Veles proposal is the previous one.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Proposal for a merchant ensign


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Alejandro Veles also proposed a merchant ensign.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

This flags were close to be adopted . On 3 January 1834, the proposals of Veles were in way to be adopted with a minor modification: in the merchant flag the star must be white instead of blue, but Santander rejected the proposals at the end.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


The Flag


1:2 variant
image by Jorge Candeias, 1 October 1999

Adopted: 9 May 1834. Abolished: 26 November 1861.
The republic was proclaimed in Novemebr 1831 in the departments of Boyaca, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Isthmus and Magdalena (two years after the deccesion of Quito and Guayaquil), but the flag and arms were ratified 17 December 1831. The flag was confirmed for the government of the Grenadine Confederation, proclaimed in May 1856 with eight states (Antioquia, Bol?var, Boyac?, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Isthmus, Magdalena and Santander).
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996

From http://www.presidencia.gov.co/historia/emblemas.htm (defunct):
"At 8 May 1834 when the verticality triumphs, is adopted as a banner of Nueva Granada" [the flag is a vertical tricolour, red, blue and yellow in 1:2 proportions].
Jorge Candeias, 1 October 1999

The flag of New Granada/Colombia with vertical stripes had (in the state flag) the CoA in the center. a site shows a pic with the full CoA with flags on either side. The source given is an original one describing the law and showing a picture of the flag. That picture is redrawn and shown on that flag site with explaining text that there were several versions of the arms on the flag, although the source says that the CoA were not changed for a long time. What the publisher or editor of this Colombian page did not see was the small note beside the flag in the original book, which says "the full CoA is only in the flag for decorative reasons, the correct flag only shows the shield of the CoA". That question had been answered in 1939 (!) by Ottfried Neubecker, and can be read in that original book, but not in later flag books, who "proudly" show the full CoA in that flag, although that is wrong!
Ralf Stelter, 27 June 1999


Civil Ensign


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Merchant Ensign - Ratio 2:3. Adopted: 9 May 1834. Abolished: 26 July 1861. The star was changed "de facto" to fivepointed one.
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996

This flag appear in 1:1 form at Steenbergen Book (1862) [stb] as No. 348 - New Grenada merchant.
Jaume Olle', 11 March 2003

Variant


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

De facto, the star in the merchant ensign was changed to a fivepointed one.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


War Flag, Naval Ensign and Flag for Representative of the Republic Abroad

1)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

2)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

3)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

This flag appear in 1:1 form at Steenbergen Book (1862) [stb] as No. 349 - New Granada war. In the ribbon that the eagle hold in his beak is the motto "Libertad y orden" (Freedom and order).
Jaume Olle', 11 March 2003

4)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

5)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

6)
image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Ratio 2:3. Adopted: 9 May 1834. Abolished: 26 November 1861. The colour of the ithmus was changed de facto to green. On the sides of the shield there were added, also de facto, two flags (to the right of the observe the war flag and to the left the merchant ensign) and afterwards it was increased to four flags (two to each side), that finally obtained their legal sanction many years after. The green base of the shield disappeared very soon. The moto is: "Libertad - orden" (Freedom - Order).
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996

Navel ensign, military flag and flag for the external representatives . Succesive changes were issued in the arms were really used. When the base disapeared, Istmus was represented in green. Later the flags in the arms were two instead a single one.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs: Flaggen aller seefahrenden Nationen, 1971 [nor71] (original print 1848):
280 New Granada - as above except with flywise stripes, the CoA off-set towards the fly, with the shield (with the scroll on top of it) fitting the blue stripe, and the bird mirrored and yellow outlined black. (It's not possible to recognize any green base under the shield.)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001


National Guard Flag


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Ratio 2:3. Adopted: 20 May 1849. Abolished: 26 November 1861. On the reverse of the flags and banners of the local National Guard appeard the name of the army body (identified according to the name of the administrative canton) and the motto: Freedom and order. (Libertad y orden) . On the reverse of the flags of the auxiliary National Guard appeard "Battalion number X of National Guard". The color of the letters was not specified
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996

On 20 May 1849, the National Guard flag was adopted . In the reverse there was the inscription: "batallon número XX de la Guardia Nacional". Color of the letters is not quoted, but In my opinion, probably argent.
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


War Flag and Naval Ensign (April - December 1854)


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


image by Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001

Ratio 2:3. Adopted: April 1854 (?). Abolished: December 1854 (?). The motto is: "Ab ordine libertas" .
Jaume Olle', 20 December 1996

Another war started 1854 when José María Melo made a coup d'Etat against José María Obando on 17 april 1854.  After the coup, several generals created their own regional armies and went to Bogota where Melo was defeated. During Melo presidency a different naval ensign was used (c. April to December 1854). It iss not known weather any text was creating the new arms, but illustration is published by Bohorquez, from where it was taken by Ortega Ricaurte. After Melo was defeated, the previous ensign was in use (in part of the country it was never supressed).
Jaume Olle', 20 October 2001


Reconstructed Army and Navy Flags


Reconstructed Army Flag
image by E.R., 10 August 2009


Reconstructed Navy Flag
image by E.R., 10 August 2009

During a military parade held in the Municipality of Tame, in the Department of Arauca, there were the flags of the Colombian Navy and Army as seen in this photo.
On the left hand side of the picture, one can see the dark blue Navy flag with the Coat of Arms of the Republica de Nueva Granada (Republic of New Granada) which existed between 1831 and 1856.
On the right hand side of the above mentioned picture, one can see the red Army flag with the same Coat of Arms.
This leads me to think that those were the first Colombian Navy and Army flags after its independence. I also believe that the flags shown in the photograph are reconstructions, since the correct version of the Coat of Arms is the one below. For example notice the Condor pointing down here and notice the pointing to the left on the Army website picture. Also notice that the two flags at the sides of the Coat of Arms have yellow as the top color which is incorrect as the top color should be red.
E.R., 10 August 2009


Coat of Arms


image by Eugene Ipavec, 14 May 2009

Based on page 58 of the book "Himnos y Símbolos de Nuestra Colombia", by Julio César García, Published in 2000 by Camer Editores, ISBN 958-33-1489-7.
The Enciclopedia Nuestra Colombia image is essentially identical, except in that the arms include a patch of ground beneath the shield.
E.R., and Eugene Ipavec, 14 May 2009


Flags According to Steenbergen Book (1862)


image by Jaume olle', 28 September 2003

No. 1039 - New Grenada, state and navy. Tn the ribbon is written "Libertad y orden". [stb]
Jaume Olle', 28 September 2003


image by Jaume Olle', 13 October 2003

No. 1065 - New Grenada. [stb]
Jaume Olle', 13 October 2003


image by Jaume Olle', 13 October 2003

No. 1066 - Uncaptioned, but suposately New Grenada. [stb]
Jaume Olle', 13 October 2003


image by Jaume Olle', 7 November 2003

No. 1147 - New Grenada [the light  green must be in fact yellow].[stb]
Jaume Olle', 7 November 2003