The history of the Republic of New Granada was marked by competing economic and political interests and rocked by violent conflicts and civil wars. One of the prime features of the political climate of the Republic was the position of the Roman Catholic Church and the level of autonomy for the federal states. In 1839, a dispute arose over the dissolution of monasteries by the Congress of New Granada. This soon escalated into the
War of the Supremes, which raged for the next two years and transformed into a conflict about regional autonomy and a border conflict with Ecuador. Panama tried unsuccessfully to break away from New Granada in 1840 and 1850. In 1851, a
Civil war took place, which was triggered by the Liberal reforms of President
José Hilario López, which provided for the emancipation of slaves, the expulsion of the Jesuits, the granting of freedom of the press and the abolition of the death penalty. As a reaction, Conservative and pro-slavery groups from Cauca and Antioquia departments, led by
Julio Arboleda, Manuel Ibánez and Eusebio Borrero, revolted against president López, in an attempt to prevent
emancipation of disenfranchised groups and abolition of
slavery, in addition to a number of religious issues. In 1853, there was a Liberal constitutional reform, and in 1854 there was
another civil war under the dictatorship of General
José María Melo. In 1858, a federal constitution was introduced. An uprising by General
Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera sparked a new
three-year civil war in 1860. After the capture of Bogotá in 1861 by Mosquera, who proclaimed himself president, the country was renamed and given a new constitution to form the
Granadine Confederation in response to demands for a decentralized administration for the country. ==Provinces==