Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, Ecuador was controlled by the Inca empire. Francisco Pizarro’s subordinate, Benalcázar, entered the area in 1533. Not finding the wealth of the mythical El Dorado, he and other conquistadors moved restlessly on, and the region became a colonial backwater. Ecuador remained under Spanish control until 1822, when it was joined to Gran Colombia. With the dissolution of that union in 1830, Ecuador gained its independence. Why is 1859 called the “Terrible Year”? Discuss