In some parts of Spanish-controlled South America the indigenous populations were very restive, a coiled spring ready to release if the cover of rule was even weakened. In other parts, the rule was almost welcomed — at least to the Spanish King, Ferdinand II. When Napoleon conquered Spain and imprisoned Ferdinand, many of the loyalist South Americans felt they no longer had any allegiance to Spain, and the resulting movement for independence was enough to start up widespread wars against the occupiers.

On this day, August 7, in 1819, the Caracas-born Simon Bolivar led a daring raid to defeat the Spanish garrison in New Granada (modern day Colombia), the Spanish seat of power for the region. The major victory was a major step in eventually freeing the northern portion of South America from Spanish rule.

Bolivar’s rebel force was pushed back to the Andes mountains just weeks before, and the Spanish army was closing in. Bolivar at the time realized he was just 300 miles from New Granada, which had a large restive population and few defenders. But he would have needed to cross the treacherous terrain of the Andes mountains to do it. The Spanish thought he would not be crazy enough to try it, but he did, losing as much as a third of his men in the process. Still, Bolivar was able to refill his ranks from the men in New Granada, and his force was able to wrest control of the land away from Spain.