Before the Spanish conquest, Colombia was inhabited by the Chibcha and Cariban, but the first to found villages were the Mesoamericans. They arrived around 1200 BC. They introduced the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. The main things they grew were potatoes and corn. They also made artifacts eventually made of gold and stone and sometimes created baskets out of grass. They were followed by a second wave of Mesoamericans around 500 BC. In 1500 the most advanced culture was that of the Chibcha. These Indian groups relied on farming, fishing, and salt mining to live. They also made clothes and blankets to trade with other tribes. And they lived in very well organized small towns connected by stone walkways.Spanish ColonizationThe invasion of the Spanish consisted of conquistadors, administrators and clergymen of the Roman Catholic church. The first Spanish explorers to enter Colombian territory were Alonso de Ojeda in 1499 and Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1500. In 1510 Ojeda found Acandí on the western side of the Gulf of Aruba. In 1538 Jiménez de Quesada founded the city of Bogotá, which is currently the capital and largest city. Traveling from Peru, a man named Belalcázar founded and founded the cities of Popayán and Santiago for Spain.During colonial rule, the social hierarchy was based on three parts: at the top were the people of Spanish origin, then the mestizos, people who were mixed Spanish and Indian, and the lowest class was the native Indians. In the colonies the viceroy was responsible. The next jurisdiction was the audiencia, which contained judges and a president, and controlled the cities. The colonial economy was based on cheap local labor. The main thing that helped the Spanish economy was the extraction of precious metals, such as gold and copper. In the late 1700s, tobacco was one of Colombia's most exported commodities. The growth of agriculture was mainly due to the fact that many mineral and metal resources in Spain began to be exploited. The only religion allowed within the colony was Roman Catholic. When the Spanish first arrived, the clergy forced all the Indians to renounce their gods and follow the Roman Catholic religion. They were also forced to speak the Spanish language.Fight for independenceWhen King Philip V came to the throne in Spain, he decided that they would have more control over the colonies and demanded that a tribute be paid by the Indians to Spain.