Abstract

MONTOYA LOPEZ, FREDY A.. Travelers and Baqueanos in the Colonization of the New Kingdom of Granada, 18th Century. Anu. colomb. hist. soc. cult. [online]. 2020, vol.47, n.1, pp.57-86.  Epub Mar 15, 2020. ISSN 0120-2456.  https://doi.org/10.15446/achsc.v47n1.83145.

Traveling throughout the New Kingdom of Granada in the 18th century was an act of courage more than of contemplation. It meant going "inland" to little known territories shrouded in a veil of fear and legend. It meant running the risk of getting lost in the jungle, of walking with a mixed sense of wonder and danger. For years, traditional historiography represented travelers as solitary heroes who challenged nature in the Americas and ended up victorious. The objective of this article is to show the importance of baqueanos in the colonization process carried out by the Spanish Crown in the 18th century along some of the strategic frontiers of the New Kingdom of Granada. In addition to knowing the territory and serving as guides for travelers, baqueanos performed an important role as interpreters, as local informants, and, above all, as "cultural mediators" between the Colonial authorities and indigenous societies.

Keywords : 18th century; baqueanos; cultural mediators; Enlightenment; exploration; nature; New Kingdom of Granada; territory; travelers.

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