Bahia gains independence, ending Portuguese rule in Brazil
Control of the province was disputed in several battles, mostly in Pirajá, before the Portuguese were fully expelled on 2 July 1823. Bahia became a Brazilian state in 1889.
South America
The Act of Independence of Peru is signed
General San Martín invited all of the populace of Lima to swear oath to the Independence cause. The signing of the Act of Independence of Peru was held on 15 July 1821.
The Congress of Angostura declares independence for Gran Colombia
On 17 December 1819, the Congress of Angostura declared Gran Colombia an independent country. After two more years of war, the country achieved independence from Spain in 1821 under the leadership of its most famous son, Simón Bolívar.
The Congress of Tucumán declares Argentina’s independence
The Congress was inaugurated in the city of Tucumán, with 33 deputies. The voting ended on July 9 with a declaration of independence.
Paraguay declares independence from Spain
Independence of Paraguay de facto started on May 14 of 1811 after the Revolution of May 14 when a local ruling junta was created. In early 1811 Paraguayan forces had repeatedly defeated the Argentinian army.
Bolivia declares independence from Spain
After the 1st call for independence in 1809, 16 years of war followed before the establishment of the Bolivian Republic, named for the Liberator Simón Bolívar, on August 6, 1825.
Bruno Mauricio de Zabala founds the modern-day city of Montevideo
The city was established in 1724 by a Spanish soldier, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst the Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region. Montevideo is now the capital and largest city of Uruguay.
The Dutch found what is now Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown is now the country’s capital and largest urban center. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed the “Garden City of the Caribbean.”
The Dutch establish first European settlement in modern-day Guyana
n 1616 the Dutch established the first European settlement in the area of Guyana, a trading post twenty-five kilometers upstream from the mouth of the Essequibo River. Other settlements followed, usually a few kilometers inland on the larger rivers.
Diego de Losada founds Caracas
On 25 July 1567, Captain Diego de Losada laid the foundations of the city of Santiago de León de Caracas. Caracas is now the capital and largest city of Venezuela.