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July 24,1783 - Birth of Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.
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1799 - Bolivar travels to Europe to complete his education.
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1801 - Bolivar marries, but his bride dies in Caracas less than a year later.
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1804 - Bolivar returns to Europe for additional studies with tutor Simon Rodriguez
who exposes him to such writers as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Francois Voltaire, Charles Montesquieu and Jean Rousseau.
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Bolivar swears to liberate his homeland while standing on Monte Sacro in Rome - Venezuela
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1807 - Bolivar returns to Venezuela.
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Apr.19,1810 - A junta replaces Spanish governor of Venezuela. Bolivar goes to London
in search of recognition and arms. He fails to achieve either objective, but brings Francisco de Miranda back to
Venezuela from exile.
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July 5,1811 - National congress declares Venezuela's independence. Six months later,
Venezuela has a new constitution, and a new three-man executive with Miranda serving as vice president. Bolivar
and Miranda begin to disagree on how the revolution should proceed. Spanish royalists refuse to accept these changes,
and begin a 10-year civil war over control of the country.
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July, 1812 - Miranda is betrayed, with Bolivar's knowledge, to the Spanish. Bolivar
flees to Cartagena, where he writes the Manifesto of Cartagena, New Granada (modern Colombia), calling for the
destruction of Spanish forces in Venezuela.
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Aug. 6,1813 - Bolivar returns to Caracas at head of a New Granadan army. Eleven months
later, Bolivar's army is defeated by a royalist force led by Jose Thomas Boves, who rides at the head of the cavalry
composed of native cowboys, known as llaneros. Bolivar flees to Colombia and returns with another army. Defeated
at Santa Mara, Bolivar escapes to Jamaica.
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1815 - While in exile, Bolivar writes the Letter from Jamaica, in which he outlines
his vision of South America. After eliminating the Spanish colonial presence, Bolivar wanted to create constitutional
republics, having a hereditary upper house, and elected lower house and a president elected for life, throughout
the continent.
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December 1816 - Unable to obtain aid from the Great Powers, Bolivar finds support
in Haiti, whose president, Alexander Sabes Petion, provides needed financing and weapons.
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1817 - Changing his military strategy, Bolivar returns to the Orinoco region of Venezuela,
establishing his base of operations in the river city of Angostura (modern Ciudad Bolivar). He organizes veterans
from the Napoleonic Wars into his "British Legion", and begins to formalize plans to consolidate his
various forces into an army.
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Spring, 1819 - Political and military planning begins to coalesce. Venezuela's second
national congress convenes in Angostura to create a new independent state. Bolivar speaks before the assembly,
and echoes the vision outlined in the Letter from Jamaica.
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June 11, 1819 - Bolivar's army leaves the Orinoco on and joins with independent forces
led by Francisco de Paula Santander (Colombia Scott 1013) and Jose Antonio Paez (Venezuela Scott 1279). The 2,500-man
army crosses Venezuela, fords seven rivers and climbs the Andes to cross into Colombia 11 months after leaving
Angostura.
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Aug. 7, 1819 The Battle of Boyaca takes place between Bolivar's army and an approximately
equal Spanish force defending the approaches to Bogota. At the start of the battle, Santander's men are cut off
from the Spanish advance force near a bridge over the Boyaca River, about one-half mile from the Spanish main body.
Bolivar sends his right against the Spanish left, while the veteran British Legion launches a frontal assault and
repulses the Spanish cavalry. The Spanish force is routed, with 100 men killed and between 1,600 and 1,800 taken
prisoner.
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Aug.10, 1819 - Bolivar enters Bogota, and is hailed as the liberator of Colombia.
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December 1819 - The Republic of Colombia is proclaimed. Only Colombia has been freed
from Spanish domination. The departments of Ecuador and Venezuela are still held by royalist forces. Bolivar is
elected president.
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1820 - Bolivar campaigns against royalists in Venezuela.
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November 1820 - Bolivar and royalists agree to a six-month armistice. Fighting resumes
at Venezuela Scott the conclusion of the armistice.
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June 25, 1821 - The Battle of Carabobo opens the way for Bolivar to liberate his
homeland. Spanish general Miguel de la Torre divides his command in the face of Bolivar's army. The British Legion
and Paez's cavalry crush the Spanish right and center, putting the remainder of Torre's force to rout.
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May 24,1822 - The Battle of Pichincha is won by Bolivar's lieutenant, Antonio Jose
de Sucre (Venezuela Scott1278), at the conclusion of the campaign to liberate Ecuador. With all of northern South
America liberated, only Peru remains in Spanish hands.
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July 26,1822 - Bolivar meets with Jose de San Martin at Guayaquil to discuss strategy
for the liberation of Peru (Venezuela Scott 1277, 1281, 1283). While no record is kept of the meeting's conversations,
it is clear from later correspondence and personal memoirs that the two leaders have irreconcilable differences
of opinion on the subject. Bolivar assumes command of the operation to liberate Peru, while San Martin retires
from public service and goes into exile in France.
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September 1823 Bolivar arrives in Lima and begins preparations to assault the Spanish
positions in the mountains to the east.
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Aug. 6,1824 - Bolivar and Sucre lead 9,000 men against the Spanish in the Battle
of Junin (Venezuela Scott 1086).Only part of each force is engaged in an all-cavalry action easily won by Bolivar.
Sucre pursues the retreating Spaniards, while Bolivar returns to Lima to establish a government.
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Dec. 9, 1824 - Sucre routs a larger Spanish army in the Battle of Ayacucho (Venezuela
Scott 1094-1097 and 1284), ending Spain's presence in South America.
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April 1825 - Sucre liberates Upper Peru, and establishes a new nation known as Bolivia.
Bolivar's power
now extends from the Caribbean to the Argentine-Bolivian border.
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1827 - Bolivar returns to Venezuela from Lima to mediate a dispute between Paez and
Santander that threatens to erupt into civil war. His efforts are not completely successful, and Venezuela secedes
from Gran Colombia in late 1829.
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Dec. 17,1830 - Suffering from tuberculosis Bolivar dies near Santa Marta, Colombia.
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