Public Treasury in times of war: the royal box of Santafe de Bogota during the reconquest of New Granada, 1816-1818

This essay analyzes the tax structure and the evolution of expenditure and income flows of the Royal Treasury of Santafe de Bogota in the interim period of independence wars. It compares a previous fiscal evolution (1760-1815) with a later one (1819-1830) in order to ponder the colonial restoration weight within independence wars and evaluate its results. Consequently, this text claims that the re-conquering project was relatively successful in rebuilding the Royal Treasury, dismantled progressively during the previous period (1810-1815) and base of next fiscal system (1819-1830). Unpublished material used as empirical evidence is part of stock records of the Royal Treasury, including general states of cargo y data and judicial stagecoaches of corte y tanteo of 1816 to 1818.