History of Bogota Trivia Quiz

Answer: Muisca

The Muisca themselves were a diverse tribe of people divided into many different caciques. They were mostly farmers who lived along the most fertile lands in Colombia. They were also expert miners of salt (some of their salt mines are still in operation today).

They would trade salt for emeralds from the Muzo. The southern part of the Muisca lands was called Bacata, from which Bogota received its name.

Answer: Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada

Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada had brought a crew with him to South America to search for the mythological city of El Dorado. However, he abandoned that quest when he heard of the emeralds and salt the native tribes had. The Spanish took many of the emeralds as well as much of the gold and set fire to the Muisca's Sun Temple.

He then traveled to the southern part of the Muisca Empire, Bacata, but found it abandoned as the Muisca got word of the Spanish invasion and fled. The zipa (or Southern Muisca leader) was hunted down and killed.

The new Spanish city was renamed Santa Fe de Bogota and eventually shortened to Bogota.

Answer: The first religious sermon in the city

Unlike other cities in South America, Bogota was stable from its outset. The city was laid out in the pattern of those of famous Spanish cities. Naturally, the cathedral was the most important building in the city and on the day of Bogota's founding, Domingo de las Casas, a Dominican friar, gave the city's first sermon.

He did so at the location where a cathedral now stands in Bogota's Santander Park.

Answer: Fine arts

Dominican and Jesuit friars opened a number of universities in Bogota in quick succession. They even founded schools exclusively for women, which was rare at the time. The first university to be founded was Saint Thomas Aquinas in 1580, which is still in operation today. Bogota quickly became noted for these schools brought artists from painters to woodworkers to the city.

They formed their own small communities. Their works were primarily religious in nature though there was a substantial amount of secular pieces as well.

Answer: Commoners

The comuneros were just the rank and file people of Colombia. Many of them were decedents of Spanish immigrants centuries before, while others were mestizos or mixed raced. Jose Antonio Galan led the rebellion against Spanish rule at a time when other Spanish colonies on the continent were also rebelling or at least in the midst of political turmoil.

The revolt was not successful and Galan was hanged in 1782. However, he did inspire future rebellions including those of Simon Bolivar.

Answer: Alexander von Humboldt

Alexander von Humboldt was something of a Renaissance man who was a noted expert in many fields. Today he is probably best remembered for being a botanist. In 1801, Humboldt met Jose Celestino Mutis, a Spanish botanist who shared his research with the Prussian. Alexander von Humboldt learned a great deal from Mutis and a botanical university in Bogota was named after him.

Answer: "Spain does not need wise people"

Spain was at war with its American colonies during what was called the Reconquista of the Spanish Colonies. Colombia was a particularly troublesome colony for Spain as most the revolution's leaders there were scientists and philosophers. Pablo Morillo ordered the execution of one of the rebel leaders, Francisco Jose de Caldas.

At the execution, Morillo declared "Espana no necesita sabios" which means "Spain does not need wise people". That phrase became a rallying call in the colonies to push further against Spain.

It was a semi-popular expression within Spain itself to stoke patriotic emotions.

Answer: Battle of Boyaca

The Battle of Boyacá was fought on the outskirts of Bogota on August 7, 1819. Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander led the rebels to victory in a decisive battle. This was the first of a few battles that the Spanish lost and thus gave independence for a new South American country.

After the rebel win, Gran Colombia was formed. Bogota continued as the capital and its educational and scientific influence grew even further.

Answer: Assassination of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan

Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was a presidential candidate who was assassinated during the 1948 campaign. He was widely expected to defeat the incumbent president Mariano Ospina Perez. Who killed Gaitan is unknown but the most likely culprit is Juan Roa Sierra, who was subsequently killed by a mob. Perez would continue to serve as president until 1950. Riots and violence ensued in the aftermath and downtown Bogota was nearly destroyed entirely.

It has been said that Fidel Castro took part in the riot and stole munitions from a depot. El Bogotazo sparked a ten year period called La Violencia or the Violence.

Answer: FARC

FARC is the notorious Colombian guerilla organization known for its drug cartels, drug dealing and kidnapping. Thirty-six people were killed and hundreds injured in 2003 when a bomb went off in the El Nogal Nightclub's parking garage. The Colombian government blamed FARC and allegedly presented evidence implicating FARC. FARC denied the attack and said it could have been an act of state sponsored terrorism.