Venezuela Declares Independence from Spain
Seven provinces signed the declaration, but three refused. On July 5, 1811, Venezuela became the first Spanish American colony to formally break from Madrid—yet a third of the territory stayed loyal to the Crown. The architect was Francisco de Miranda, a radical who'd fought in the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Within a year, Spain had reconquered the country. Miranda died in a Spanish prison. His protégé Simón Bolívar would need another decade and four more attempts to make independence stick.
July 5, 1811
215 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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