Modern Era24 May 1822

Battle of Pichincha (1822): Antonio José de Sucre Liberates Quito

On 24 May 1822 Antonio José de Sucre defeated Spanish royalists on the slopes of Pichincha above Quito, freeing present-day Ecuador from Spanish rule.

By 4 min read

Nineteenth-century oil painting by the Ecuadorian artist Antonio Salas depicting the armistice that followed the Battle of Pichincha, with officers gathered in a landscape below the mountains
Nineteenth-century oil painting by the Ecuadorian artist Antonio Salas depicting the armistice that followed the Battle of Pichincha, with officers gathered in a landscape below the mountains. Image: Antonio Salas (Public domain), Wikimedia Commons
Contents

The Battle of Pichincha was fought on 24 May 1822 on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano above Quito, when a patriot army under Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spanish royalist garrison of Field Marshal Melchor Aymerich. The victory ended Spanish rule over the territory of present-day Ecuador. It also set the stage for the famous meeting between Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín at Guayaquil two months later.

Background

By 1821 the independence wars in South America were closing in on the royalist strongholds of Quito and Peru. In the north, Bolívar’s victories at Boyacá and Carabobo had created the republic of Gran Colombia. In the south, San Martín had crossed the Andes, freed Chile and entered Lima.

Between them lay the Audiencia of Quito, still loyal to Spain. The port city of Guayaquil had declared its independence on 9 October 1820, and its leaders asked for help. Bolívar sent Sucre, his most trusted young general, by sea to Guayaquil in 1821. Sucre’s first advance into the highlands ended in defeat at the Second Battle of Huachi in September 1821.

The campaign

In early 1822 Sucre tried again, this time strengthened by a division sent by San Martín from Peru under Colonel Andrés de Santa Cruz. The combined army of Colombian, Peruvian and Argentine soldiers, together with British and Irish volunteers of the Albion battalion, climbed into the Andes. A cavalry clash at Riobamba (Tapi) on 21 April 1822 went in the patriots’ favour.

Meanwhile Bolívar himself fought a costly battle at Bomboná, near Pasto, on 7 April, which tied down royalist forces in the north. Aymerich concentrated his troops in Quito, and Sucre manoeuvred to cut off the city.

The battle on the volcano

On the night of 23 May Sucre led his army, roughly 2,600 to 3,000 men, up the flanks of Pichincha in rain and darkness, aiming to come down on Quito from the heights. Aymerich, with an estimated 1,900 to 2,000 men, saw the danger and sent his troops up the steep slopes to meet them on the morning of 24 May.

The fighting took place at about 3,500 metres above sea level on broken, wooded ground. Both sides were exhausted by the climb, and some patriot units ran short of ammunition. The arrival of the Albion battalion, which had been bringing up supplies, helped turn the battle. After several hours the royalists broke and fled down towards the city.

Some royalist troops took refuge in the Panecillo, a fortified hill in the middle of Quito, but further resistance was hopeless. Aymerich, cut off from reinforcements and with much of his army killed, wounded or captured, opened negotiations with Sucre that afternoon. Many patriot soldiers came from the lowlands and had struggled with the thin mountain air, which made the victory all the more striking to contemporaries.

Losses are known mainly from patriot reports. They put patriot casualties at around 200 killed and 140 wounded, and royalist losses at around 400 killed, about 190 wounded and more than 1,000 taken prisoner. These figures should be treated as approximate.

Key people

  • Antonio José de Sucre (1795-1830): Venezuelan general who commanded the patriot army. He later won the decisive victory at Ayacucho and became the first constitutional president of Bolivia.
  • Melchor Aymerich (1754-1836): Spanish field marshal and acting president of Quito, who signed the capitulation.
  • Andrés de Santa Cruz (1792-1865): commander of San Martín’s auxiliary division, later president of Peru and Bolivia.
  • Abdón Calderón (1804-1822): a teenage lieutenant from Cuenca who fought on despite repeated wounds and died on 7 June 1822. He became a national hero, though later retellings exaggerated his deeds.

Consequences

Aymerich signed a capitulation on 25 May 1822, and the patriots entered Quito. Bolívar arrived in the city on 16 June, and the former Audiencia was incorporated into Gran Colombia. Bolívar then secured Guayaquil, whose future had been disputed between Colombia and Peru, in July.

On 26-27 July 1822 Bolívar and San Martín met privately in Guayaquil. No reliable record of their talks survives. Soon afterwards San Martín resigned his powers in Peru and left South America’s wars for good, leaving Bolívar and Sucre to finish the campaign that ended at the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824.

Timeline

  • 1820, 9 October: Guayaquil declares independence from Spain.
  • 1821, 12 September: Sucre is defeated at the Second Battle of Huachi.
  • 1822, 21 April: Patriot cavalry wins the clash at Riobamba.
  • 1822, 23-24 May: Night ascent of Pichincha and the battle above Quito.
  • 1822, 25 May: Aymerich capitulates and Quito is surrendered.
  • 1822, 16 June: Bolívar enters Quito.
  • 1822, 26-27 July: Bolívar and San Martín meet at Guayaquil.
  • 1830, May: Ecuador separates from Gran Colombia as an independent state.

Why it matters

Pichincha freed the territory that became Ecuador and joined the northern and southern independence movements of South America. It made Sucre’s reputation and opened the way for the final campaigns in Peru. In Ecuador, 24 May remains a national holiday and the battlefield above Quito is marked by a monument known as the Cima de la Libertad.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Battle of Pichincha?

The patriot army commanded by General Antonio José de Sucre won. It defeated the royalist forces of Field Marshal Melchor Aymerich, who surrendered Quito the next day.

Where was the Battle of Pichincha fought?

It was fought on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha volcano, which rises directly above the city of Quito in present-day Ecuador. The fighting took place at an altitude of roughly 3,500 metres, which made the climb exhausting for both armies.

Why is the Battle of Pichincha important?

It ended Spanish rule in the Audiencia of Quito, the territory that became Ecuador. Quito then joined Bolívar's Gran Colombia, and Ecuador became a separate republic in 1830.

Who was Abdón Calderón?

Abdón Calderón was a young lieutenant from Cuenca who fought at Pichincha and kept going despite several wounds. He died of his injuries in June 1822 and became one of Ecuador's best-known national heroes, although later accounts embellished the details.

Is 24 May a holiday in Ecuador?

Yes. The anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha is a national holiday in Ecuador, marked by civic and military ceremonies, especially in Quito.

Sources and further reading

  • Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Battle of Pichincha"
  • John Lynch, Simón Bolívar: A Life
  • John Lynch, The Spanish American Revolutions, 1808-1826

Cite this article

“Battle of Pichincha (1822): Antonio José de Sucre Liberates Quito.” Chronicle, https://chronicle.bigworldlist.com/articles/battle-of-pichincha-1822/.