The history of Tumbes begins in 1532, when the famous Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro arrives on its shores with his troops. Pizarro arrived specifically through La Leña port.
The territory that today is known as Tumbes was inhabited for centuries by pre-Hispanic peoples dedicated to agriculture, hunting and the trade of their products throughout the Peruvian coast, thanks to their excellent skills as navigators.
Spanish conquest
Tumbes is an emblematic area for the Spanish conquest in Peru. The first meeting between the two civilizations occurs on its coasts.
In 1532 the famous conqueror and explorer from Castile, Francisco Pizarro, arrived on the shores of Tumbes with dozens of his soldiers.
The encounter between the Spaniards and the natives was not at all cordial, since this was an area dominated for centuries by the powerful Inca Empire, which also ruled most of the territory of pre-Columbian America.
From the first contact, the native Indians offered great opposition to the Spanish invasion.
It all started with the famous Battle of the Mangroves, which occurred in the La Chepa estuary. The natives were led by the chief Chilimasa, and the Spanish were under the command of Hernando de Soto.
Although the battle lasted fifteen days and produced multiple casualties on the Spanish, they take the victory thanks to their superiority in terms of weapons and their multiple cavalry units.
As a sign of victory, Francisco Pizarro places a cross on the beach as a symbol of the triumph of Christianity. From that fact, the beach known as La Cruz was founded.
The Spanish army finally withdrew from Tumbes, already devastated, on May 16, 1532. They left excited by the ambition for gold and riches that existed in the city of Cuzco.
Republican era
Tumbes was the first Peruvian city to declare its independence from the Spanish Crown. This event occurs on January 7, 1821 in the city council led by Don José Jiménez.
From this fact, a series of uprisings began throughout the Peruvian territory. The inhabitants of Tumbes were tired of the Spanish yoke, so they decided to join the emancipatory cause of General Don José de San Martín.
In 1941 the history of this city was once again involved in warlike events, when they were forced to fight in the conflict against Ecuador called the Peruvian-Ecuadorian War, or the Conflict of 41.
This conflict is started by territorial disputes, due to the absence of clear borders in the regions.
In 1942, and after the triumph and the restoration of peace, the Peruvian government decided to grant the region the status of a department in gratitude for its support to the army during the conflict.
References
- Murua, M; Gaibrois, M. (1987). General history of Peru. Retrieved on November 25, 2017 from: espeleokandil.org
- Anello, G. (1998). History of the kingdom and provinces of Peru: Lima: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Retrieved on November 25, 2017 from: books.google.es
- Ponce, E; Van Bladen, M (2015). Stories of Andean history. Retrieved on November 25, 2017 from: ufro.cl
- Declaration of Independence of Tumbes. Retrieved on November 25, 2017 from: lhistoria.com
- Tumbes Department. Retrieved on November 25, 2017 from: es.wikipedia.org