Rule and Governance Flashcards
First colony - la isabela
in dominican republic
good representation of medieval, iberian concept of colonisation
first spannish colonists attempted to reproduce a late-medieval spanish social and material template on land
old model of colonisation
used mechanisms of late Reconquista and canary islands colonisation
capitulaciones
mercedes (land grants) > haciendas in 1530
limpieza de sangre
encomienda
encomiendas
feudal, entrusts group of indigenous to individual spanish settler
Hispaniola - basis of colonial control, power and labour exploitation for commercial gain
Laws of Burgos
1512-13 - decreed wages and supervision of encomienda
1523 - encomiendas banned in mexico
Spanish settlement
urban grid pattern for new towns
growth of latifundios and minifundios
Silver production
1545 - discovery of silver in upper peru
1548 - mexican mines
1590 - peak but causes overproduction
- need for deeper mining, labour shortage, mercury shortage
Silver production and fleet system
guarded at every stage shipped to havana > Seville 2 fleets per year need to spend money on fortifications inefficiency and growing contraband
Centralism vs local autonomy
obedezco pero no cumplo
crown seeking absolute power
by 1530s, royal authority already being ignored
local reality = encomienda power
Bourbon reforms took away autonomy and criollo power = resentment
what were encomiendas replaced by?
debt peonage
peón given use of a plot in exchange for labour
obliged to buy seeds/goods from the patron
debt passed onto their children, typing the family permanently to the landowner
but by 1700 - inadequate
Bourbon reforms
defence reform - military modernisation increase in sales tax increase indigenous tribute end fleet system greater protectionism 1765 - degree of limited comercio libre
Bourbon administrative reforms
1776 vistadores - inspection corregidores church forced to sell lands institutions better paid, less corruption
benefits/downsides to Bourbon reforms
spanish trade x800
mining recovery
BUT - criollo exclusion
the viceroyalties in spanish america
2 viceroyalties to begin with, in mexico city and lima - divided into 10 audencias
Bourbon reform - 2 new viceroyalties out of Peru:
1739 - nueva granada
1776 - río de la plata
rural system of control:
mercedes > haciendas/encomiendas > repartamiento/mita > peonage > latifundio
1542 laws
abolished indigenous slavery
regulated taxes and labour
banned inhertience of encomienda - opposition, crown surrender
church = authority for spiritual care
controlling indigenous
force
co-option of native elite/structures - cacquismo
labour control, psychological control
symbolism of cities
symbols of power
grid plan - attempts to segregate indigenous from spaniards
practical military strongholds
when were cities founded in spanish america/brazil?
most major cities of spanish america founded by end of 16thc
no true cities founded in brazil till mid 16thc
Brazil - first settlements
till 1530s, little settlement
1530 - Sousa’s settlement of Sao Vicente (SE) - 15 capitanias
1530 Sousa’s settlement
15 seperate colonies created - run by donatarios - right to allocate land to individual fazendeiros
donatarios = hereditary titles, economic autonomy
treatment of brazil in 1700
brazil integrated into portugal, treated as part of portugal with considerable autonomy
Pombal reforms in 1750
indigenous legally freed, mixed race unions recognised
Río de janiero - one single viceroyalty
brazil in 1807
portuguese court in Rio
Brazil given equal status
but 1815 - cortes retract, elites rebel.
Columbus’ contract
capitulaciones de Santa Fé - basis of contract for all early explorations
exchange of new lands for titles/share of spoils
10% share of spoils
