was much closer to liberals. By the end of his term he moved to New York city to devote in his family business, and he created an international trade house in there which went bankrupt. While in New York, he wrote his 'Memoria sobre geografía física y política de Nueva Granada', one of his many treatises in Colombian geography. He was member of a number of scientific societies in Latin America and Europe. He went back to Colombia some years later to fight the so-called artisans' revolution, and to defeat the dictatorship of José María Melo in 1854. By then he had fully converted to the liberal party, and as such he was a representative and senator in the Congress, as well as a candidate to presidential reelection in 1857, which he lost to conservative Mariano Ospina Rodríguez. With the creation of Granadine Confederation, Mosquera was elected president of the Cauca State, a position from which he made opposition to president Ospina, to whom he accused of disrespecting the states' autonomy. Civil War 1860–1862 In 1860 Mosquera declared the secession of the Cauca State and declared war to the Granadine Confederation. He soon received support from the states of Santander and Tolima, which proclaimed him governor. After heavy battles Colombian Civil War, Mosquera was able to seize the power in 1861, after which he promoted the creation of the United States of Colombia. Second and Third Presidential Terms (1861–1864) During his second term as president (1861–1863), Mosquera enacted several decrees aimed to control the power of the Catholic Church, selling many of its properties to invigorate the economy and giving them to the poor Colombian people, and banning Jesuits from the country for their open support for the Conservative faction. Despite some dissent, a federal and liberal constitution was proclaimed that guaranteed rights to citizens. All the signers supported this Constitution. It was decided that Mosquera should complete the first two-year term as President of the United States of Colombia, until April 1864. Mosquera's third term included war against Ecuador in 1863, and he personally commanded the Colombian army to victory. This would be the only international conflict to date between the two countries. At the end of his term, he traveled to Paris as ambassador to France. Fourth Presidential Term (1866–1867), retirement and death In 1866 Mosquera went back to Colombia, to be elected President for the fourth time,