Colombia was colonized by European forces who invaded their land and gained power over the land. The people that lived in Colombia pre-conquest were the indigenous people. The Pijao who are now extinct thrived in the southern highlands of Colombia. There the people would grow crops like corn, manioc, beans, and various fruits. They are also known for killing their enemies and cannibalism. The reason for their extinction was because of Spain. When the Spanish arrived the Pijao did not agree with them and fought the Spanish. This war led to the near extinction of the Pijao because some people did not go against the Spanish and survived. The Spanish conquest of Colombia started when the Spanish arrived in 1499. The war began from 1525 to 1549. From 1549 to 1740 the Spanish were in power. Rodrigo de Bastidas led the colonial period with Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada throughout that time (1549 to 1740). During 1808 the Spanish were invaded by the French. There was an uprising on July 20th, 1810 which is now Colombia's independence day. They declared independence in 1811. The Spanish began a reconquest from 1814 to 1816 where they eventually gained power again. In 1819 Simon Bolivar arrived in Colombia and joined the rebellion against Spain. With Simon Bolivar's help, Colombia was able to defeat Spain that year and form a regular government officially gaining independence. The country went quiet for a few years with nothing major happening. From 1840 to 1903 there was a rivalry between two political parties which led to a bloody revolution causing lots of violent battles. The country has many different races. These races consist of 88% of the population being White or Mestizo, 7% Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero), 4.3% Indigenous, and 1.4% unspecified. Most of the population of Colombia is White and Mestizo, this is because Colombia was colonized by Spain who are White. Therefore the land they colonized would mostly consist of their people. Colombia endured many years of colonization but with the help of Simon Bolivar Colombia was able to form a real government and a country where everyone is happy.