ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the magnificent welcome was a sign of respect and admiration for the German scientist, while at the same time serving as an opportunity for New Granada’s educated Creoles to publicly call attention to their importance and prestige. It explores Alexander von Humboldt’s thoughts about the Creoles’ social attitudes and the colony’s potential emancipation from Spain. Humboldt and Aime Bonpland’s dedication is adorned with a lithograph depicting the face of the botanist from Cadiz, which one reads: “A Don Jose Celestino Mutis. Humboldt’s grand welcome in the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada has traditionally received little scholarly attention, largely because, in the Spanish colonies, an official welcome was to be expected for the most important natural scientist of a foreign country allowed by the king to visit his territories. Humboldt’s arrival in Santa Fe coincided with a new stage of political tensions, this time promoted by the enlightened Creoles who ultimately ended Spanish rule.
