republic · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Free State of the Isthmus

1840 CE – 1841 CE · capital Panama City

Panama's first attempt at independence, a breakaway state from New Granada that lasted about a year during the War of the Supremes.

Origins

Civil war, the War of the Supremes, broke out in the Republic of New Granada in 1839. In November 1840 a popular assembly in Panama City, cut off from Bogotá, declared the provinces of Panama and Veraguas independent as the State of the Isthmus, choosing Colonel Tomás Herrera as head of state.

Rule and society

Herrera's government adopted a constitution in 1841, maintained order and sought to protect the isthmus's transit trade between the Atlantic and Pacific, on which its merchants depended. It considered recognition from foreign powers and the possibility of a federal link with New Granada on its own terms.

Decline and legacy

When the civil war ended, the government of New Granada negotiated Panama's return with promises of greater autonomy. The isthmus was reincorporated on 31 December 1841. The episode was a precedent for Panama's independence in 1903, and Herrera is honoured as a national figure.

Lineage

Republic of New Granada 1831 CE – 1858 CEFree State of the IsthmusRepublic of New Granada 1831 CE – 1858 CE

More states of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free State of the Isthmus. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-the-isthmus
MLA
“Free State of the Isthmus.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-the-isthmus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Free State of the Isthmus.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-the-isthmus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free State of the Isthmus’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-the-isthmus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻