Race and Identity

          Race and identity played a large part in the Gran Columbia revolution. Simon Bolivar was the leader of the Gran Colombian revolution and he was originally from Venezuela. In 1810, Bolivar takes control of Venezuela from Spain and in 1811 they are officially independent from Spain, but Spain would eventually regain Venezuela. In 1813,Bolivar retakes Venezuela by defeating Spain in six successful confrontations and in that same year, Bolivar's troops take control of Caracas. By 1814, he loses Caracas to Spain. In 1819, two years after he fled to Jamaica, Bolivar rallies a army of 2,500 and takes over Boyaca and Bogota. After he takes over these two Cities from Spain, the Republica de Columbia is proclaimed. It covers  modern Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Bolivar tried to keep Gran Colombia together but eventually retired and died without knowing that Ecuador and Venezuela seceded from Gran Colombia. The reason why race and identity played a large part in the Gran Colombia revolution was because the people from South America did not see themselves as Spaniards, they saw themselves as Venezuelans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians. Simon Bolivar was originally from Venezuela so he did not see himself as a Spaniard and he felt that people in South America shouldn't be viewed as Spaniards. A lot of people agreed with him that is why identity played a large part in the Gran Colombia revolution.
           In today, race can still play a part in the national identity of politics. One example is in Ferguson Missouri, a white police officer named Darren Wilson shot an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown. Darren Wilson states that the boy was reaching for his gun so he shot and killed Michael Brown. The grand jury decided that Darren Wilson would not be punished and would get no jail time. This outraged many people so there protests throughout the country. The protesters believe that Michael Brown should have justice and that Darren Wilson should have been severely punished for killing this unarmed 18 year old. Race still plays a large part in politics.