Rule and Governance

Question 1

First colony - la isabela

Answer 1

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

Question 2

old model of colonisation

Answer 2

used mechanisms of late Reconquista and canary islands colonisation
capitulaciones
mercedes (land grants) > haciendas in 1530
limpieza de sangre
encomienda

Question 3

encomiendas

Answer 3

feudal, entrusts group of indigenous to individual spanish settler
Hispaniola - basis of colonial control, power and labour exploitation for commercial gain

Question 4

Laws of Burgos

Answer 4

1512-13 - decreed wages and supervision of encomienda

1523 - encomiendas banned in mexico

Question 5

Spanish settlement

Answer 5

urban grid pattern for new towns

growth of latifundios and minifundios

Question 6

Silver production

Answer 6

1545 - discovery of silver in upper peru
1548 - mexican mines
1590 - peak but causes overproduction
- need for deeper mining, labour shortage, mercury shortage

Question 7

Silver production and fleet system

Answer 7

guarded at every stage
shipped to havana > Seville
2 fleets per year
need to spend money on fortifications
inefficiency and growing contraband

Question 8

Centralism vs local autonomy

Answer 8

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

Question 9

what were encomiendas replaced by?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Bourbon reforms

Answer 10

defence reform - military modernisation
 increase in sales tax
increase indigenous tribute
end fleet system
greater protectionism
1765 - degree of limited comercio libre

Question 11

Bourbon administrative reforms

Answer 11

1776
vistadores - inspection
corregidores
church forced to sell lands
institutions better paid, less corruption

Question 12

benefits/downsides to Bourbon reforms

Answer 12

spanish trade x800
mining recovery
BUT - criollo exclusion

Question 13

the viceroyalties in spanish america

Answer 13

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

Question 14

rural system of control:

Answer 14

mercedes > 
haciendas/encomiendas >
repartamiento/mita >
peonage >
latifundio

Question 15

1542 laws

Answer 15

abolished indigenous slavery
regulated taxes and labour
banned inhertience of encomienda - opposition, crown surrender
church = authority for spiritual care

Question 16

controlling indigenous

Answer 16

force
co-option of native elite/structures - cacquismo
labour control, psychological control

Question 17

symbolism of cities

Answer 17

symbols of power
grid plan - attempts to segregate indigenous from spaniards
practical military strongholds

Question 18

when were cities founded in spanish america/brazil?

Answer 18

most major cities of spanish america founded by end of 16thc

no true cities founded in brazil till mid 16thc

Question 19

Brazil - first settlements

Answer 19

till 1530s, little settlement

1530 - Sousa’s settlement of Sao Vicente (SE) - 15 capitanias

Question 20

1530 Sousa’s settlement

Answer 20

15 seperate colonies created - run by donatarios - right to allocate land to individual fazendeiros
donatarios = hereditary titles, economic autonomy

Question 21

treatment of brazil in 1700

Answer 21

brazil integrated into portugal, treated as part of portugal with considerable autonomy

Question 22

Pombal reforms in 1750

Answer 22

indigenous legally freed, mixed race unions recognised

Río de janiero - one single viceroyalty

Question 23

brazil in 1807

Answer 23

portuguese court in Rio
Brazil given equal status
but 1815 - cortes retract, elites rebel.

Question 24

Columbus’ contract

Answer 24

capitulaciones de Santa Fé - basis of contract for all early explorations
exchange of new lands for titles/share of spoils
10% share of spoils

Question 25

first settlement

Answer 25

Navidad in Hispaniola

Question 26

What was the Requerimiento?

Answer 26

1513

declaration of Castile’s divine right to take possession of New World and subjugate, exploit and fight inhabitants

Question 27

Structure of governance in 16th c

Answer 27

capitans- general/govenors, alongside audencias

then corregidores alongisde local town councils (cabildos, under alcaldes)

Question 28

effects of pombals reforms

Answer 28

1790 - some manufacturing recovery
new products - coffee, rice, wheat, cotton in NE
decline after north american competition