In colonial Spanish America, the Reconquista refers to the period following the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 during which royalist armies are able to gain the upper hand in the Spanish American wars of independence.
The term makes an analogy to the medieval Reconquista, in which Christian forces retook the Iberian Peninsula.
During Napoleon's invasion of the Iberian peninsula, a number of Spanish colonies in the Americas had moved for greater autonomy or outright independence due to the political instability in Spain.
By 1815 the general outlines of which areas are controlled by royalists and pro-independence forces have been established and a general stalemate sets in the war.
With the exception of rural areas controlled by guerrillas, North America is under the control of royalists, and in South America only the Southern Cone and New Granada remain outside of royalist control.
After French forces leave Spain in 1814, the restored Spanish king, Ferdinand VII, declares the developments in the Americas illegal and sends armies to quell the areas still in rebellion.
The impact of these expeditions are most notably felt in
Chile, New Granada, and Venezuela.
The restoration is short lived, reversed by 1820 in these three countries.
