The Spanish Empire refers to the territories and colonies that were under the direct influence of Spain. In the past, the Spanish Empire was considered one of the strongest in the history of the world. The beginning of its formation coincided with the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Since it was the Spanish travelers who were the first to explore the territory of the Earth, the empire became one of the first to conquer the colonies.
Stages of formation of the Spanish Empire
The empire existed for about five centuries, and during this time its development went through several stages.
The first stage is often called "island". This stage coincides with the beginning of the Great geographical discoveries. It all started with the travels of Christopher Columbus deep into the Antilles, as well as his exploration of the islands and coasts of Central and South America. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spaniards began to fight with the local population for open territories, after a number of victories, they began to move deeper and deeper into the new lands of America. In 1513, they began to develop the modern territory of Florida.
The second stage was marked by the strengthening of Spain in North Africa at the end of the 16th century, as well as its advance in the Philippines, the Caroline Islands, and on the territory of Guinea.
During the third stage, the Spaniards tried to re-establish themselves and continue to conquer Africa. This happened in the very middle of the 19th century during the Spanish-Moroccan War (1859-1860). After the end of the Berlin Conference, it was decided that part of the north-west of Africa would pass into the possession of Spain. As a result, until the first half of the 20th century, the territories of the empire only expanded. She began to own almost the entire area of Western Sahara.
Consequences for the population of the colonies, and the impact on the Spanish Empire itself
The Spanish Empire took over all the reins of government of the colonies, which allowed it to use the full power of local wealth. All colonies were under the signs of the four viceroyalties: New Spain, Peru, New Granada and Rio de la Plata. The colonies were governed by a Council specially created for this, and all economic processes took place under the strict supervision of the Chamber of Commerce (founded in 1503). In 1542, a whole list of laws was created for the population living in America, and in 1680 for the rest of the colonial population.
In the 16th century, the island of Hispaniola (Haiti) became the center. The local governor at that time decided to introduce compulsory labor for the entire population, starting from the age of 15, and all people were required to pay taxes in large amounts. This decision turned out to be a tragedy for the population of the colonies. For example, in the Antilles, the entire indigenous Indian population disappeared from the face of the Earth. Thus, the Spanish colonists exterminated more than a million local residents. Therefore, they soon faced the acute question of finding a workforce. It was solved in a radical way - they brought black slaves from African countries.
Slaves served mainly as servants; by the second half of the 16th century, their number increased significantly not only in Spain, but throughout the world. In the empire, such slaves were called ladinos, and they first appeared in 1505 during the reign of Charles V. Since then, their number has only grown. The Spaniards did not purchase slaves directly from Africa, but used the services of the Portuguese, French and British. After that, a kind of hunt for people began in the Caribbean. To "replenish" the population of their colonies, they conquered nearby islands, including Florida and Yucatan.
History of the Spanish conquests
For twenty years (1519-1540), the Spaniards tried to conquer the mainland of South America. Hernando Cortes achieved particular success in this field, who was able to conquer Mexico, while captivating most of the Aztec population. In 1531, the Inca Empire was destroyed and the lands of modern Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia were captured. In the second half of the 16th century, a significant part of Chile fell under the flag of the Spanish Empire. The local population was either sent into captivity or simply destroyed.
The conquest was very slow, primarily due to the fact that the resources of the Spaniards were extremely limited. Also affected by the centralized nature of the Indian tribes. However, there was a serious crisis and disunity among the Aztecs and Incas, which helped the conquerors seize their lands. The Spaniards still had an advantage over the indigenous population in the form of modern weapons. The army was supplied with muskets, cannons and horses. However, psychological weapons also played an important role. Together with the conquerors, new diseases arrived on the continent, which are familiar to Europeans, but the natives were practically powerless in front of them. Epidemics broke out every now and then, the population was rapidly declining. Literally in fifty years, the population of Central Mexico fell from 25 million to 2.7 million people, and in 1620 it was 1.5 million at all. So, the indigenous population fell ill with smallpox, typhoid, measles, mumps and influenza. The local faith had a serious impact, since the Indians believed that the end of the world would come with the arrival of strangers, so many natives committed suicide, the birth rate fell inexorably. The whole habitual way of life was destroyed, many were sent into slavery, which also undermined the morale of the Indians.
The Spaniards themselves also had a hard time. They lost their main "bonus" - the effect of surprise. Each time it became more and more difficult for them to conquer new territories. So, during the Araucanian wars, the Spaniards could not capture the south of Chile. The situation in the European arena also had a strong influence. During the conflicts of the 18th century, Spain granted England the exclusive right to import slaves from African territories. The British took advantage of this and opened their trading posts all over the Caribbean coast. However, wars soon began to flare up between these two countries, during which the British were able to conquer a significant part of the Spanish colonies, including Florida. Spain was able to regain this land only after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. After this event, the lands of the Spanish Empire only dwindled. At the end of the XVIII century, she lost power in Santo Domingo and Trinidad.
The struggle for the independence of Latin America in 1810-1826 dealt a strong blow to the empire, when it lost its influence on this continent. Spain now had only the lands of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In the XIX century, the Spanish Empire decides to expand its possessions by conquering the lands of Africa. Basically, the country tried to get possession of Morocco and Western Sahara. However, these plans are interrupted by the war in Cuba against the oppression of the Spaniards. During this conflict, the Spanish army was completely defeated, and all the lands are under the control of the United States (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines). In 1899, Spain sold the Caroline and Mariana Islands to the Germans.
In the 20th century, together with France, Spain continued to conquer Morocco. Until 1926, the struggle for these lands continued. However, Spain loses all its influence in 1959, when the colonies again return to the rule of Morocco.
Lifestyle in America during the Spanish Empire
To protect itself from various risks during the development of America, Spain introduced a special system of capitulations. These are original contracts and licenses that allow the owner to conquer and manage all the new territories of South America. After the capture operation was successful, the conquistadors were given a license, title and other bonuses from the king. However, not all the funds obtained were kept by the conquerors. Part was given to the state, the other share went to the treasury of the Catholic Church. The new rulers of the colonies were called adelantados and were completely subordinate to the Spanish crown. A certain person was attached to each head of the regions, who carefully monitored that all points of surrender were carried out. This system did not operate for very long, only until the second half of the 16th century, around this time the conquistadors rebelled against the established rules.
Precious metal deposits were soon discovered in Mexico and Peru. Of course, all the gold and silver mined went to the empire. Local residents had to obtain a special mining permit natural resources, and also requested the possibility of moving overseas. In 1519, a kind of "resettlement program" of the Spaniards to the territory of the colonies began, this desire was strongly encouraged. Yes, issued large plots, taxes were levied at a lower rate, and material assistance was also given.
In 1524, the Council of Indian Affairs was founded. It was he who was responsible for providing all the necessary expeditions, issuing licenses to the colonists, and also controlled the process of the activities of local authorities in the occupied territories. The Council was also involved in legislative activities. This body worked remotely - from Madrid. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about the competence of officials, many of whom could not even imagine life on the lands of America. They mainly wanted benefits for the crown, so the fate of the inhabitants of the colonies did not bother them. Therefore, it was soon decided to create vice-kingdoms, where the fate and further development of America was decided on the spot.
Sometimes the Spaniards married in the territory of the colonies, the children born in such marriages were called Creoles. Formally, everyone had the same rights, but Creoles could not hold high positions in the church, military and state spheres. However, they could always take over the city government and control local organizations. The police in the modern sense existed in the form of a Creole militia. Soon, a certain layer of Creoles began to be considered noble, it was from these people that the local bourgeoisie was formed. Consulado appeared in the 1600s. These were associations of entrepreneurs that had similarities with the merchant guilds in Europe. It was from this moment that the Creoles were able to defend their interests in opposition to the decisions of Spain.
In addition to Creoles, mestizos (Europeans and Indians), mulattoes (Negroes and Spaniards), Sambos (Indians and Africans) lived on the territory of the colonies. The first two categories were considered free people, but could not hold high positions. They were mainly engaged in trade and some kind of craft. Mestizos could move to the class of colonists, but for this it was necessary to purchase a special document, which costs a lot of money. After that, many of them became planters.
Many inhabitants of the colonies became encomenderos. This meant that they had Indians in their subordination, who paid the tax, and also performed various duties. Encomenderos, in turn, had to convert the locals to Christianity.
The economy of South America was based on slave labor. Since the indigenous population was significantly reduced (people were simply dying), the Spaniards decided to bring other Indians and blacks to the territory of the colonies. The Indians were forced to pay tax not only to the encomendero, but also to the Spanish crown. Men from 18 to 50 fell into this category. To pay the required amount, the natives were engaged in hard work, mining, and agricultural work. The income from each Indian first went to the general budget, part of it went to taxes, and the other to the needs of the community.
Since the 17th century, Spain stopped paying the inhabitants of the colonies cash, so officials began to actively collect money from the Indians. They also sent part of the male population to forced labor in exchange for food, tools and money. There were laws that forbade the involvement of the indigenous population for especially hard work. However, this instruction was ignored and violated in every possible way, the Indians were sent to extract mercury, purify silver, which is an extremely harmful production for people. In the course of such hellish working conditions, a significant part of the indigenous population of America died.
Precious metals, stones, agricultural products were massively exported to Spain from these colonies. It is worth noting that the viceroyalties could not trade with each other. This ban lasted until the end of the 18th century.
Features of life in the Philippines
The land, which was later called the Philippines, was discovered by Magellan in 1521. However, the Spaniards were able to secure these territories only after fifty years. The conquerors were faced with the task of completing this process peacefully. During the operation, the Mariana and Marshall Islands were recognized as Spanish colonies. In 1565, the Spaniards landed on the island of Cebu. It was from this point that the exploration of the Philippines began. This whole process took place over the course of six years. Since the lands were very distant from Spain, all the supplies of the conquerors came from the territories of America and New Spain. In 1583, Manila received its own governing body, and soon a court was established here.
The economy in the Philippines developed extremely poorly, no matter how hard the Spaniards tried. Until the 19th century, they depended on financial support from the crown, for example, silver came from Mexico.
The conquerors faced a number of problems when they began to develop new lands. The most important was the huge number of islands, as well as the not quite stable climate. Therefore, the city of Luzon became the center of trade, and trading posts were founded in smaller points. The Spaniards decided not to completely capture the entire archipelago, in particular, the territories of Mindanao, where Muslims lived. In case of emergency, Spanish troops raided neighboring territories, but still they did not hold full control over the Philippines. Therefore, it is impossible to say that the Spanish colonists greatly influenced the life of the indigenous population of the archipelago. There were no such catastrophes with the extinction of local residents, as it was, for example, in America. The population was familiar with many diseases, so acute infections did not occur here. Residents, as before, were engaged in agriculture, mining and rice cultivation. The Spaniards tried to plant their plants here, in particular wheat, but this attempt was unsuccessful. Also, animals (sheep, mules) could not gain a foothold in the Philippines. This problem was solved by importing Chinese horses, which thrived in such an unstable climate. There were also transportation problems, as the Philippines is famous for its rainy season. During these periods, movement by land was impossible, and there were no analogues.
The Philippines has become an excellent trading center for Spain. Things were brought here from China. Soon, the Chinese began to converge on the territory of Manila and significantly outnumbered the Spaniards. The authorities of the empire were very excited by this turn of events, so it was decided to establish a special quarter, outside of which the Chinese were forbidden to live. However, with all this, it is impossible not to note the strong influence of merchants and merchants from China on the development of the Philippines.
The end of the Spanish colonial empire is usually considered to be the 1898 war with the United States, which deprived Spain of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. However, the defeat in that war did not affect the African possessions of Spain. So in the next century, the Spaniards managed to experiment with and even fight in a couple of full-fledged colonial wars and several conflicts on a smaller scale.
In this story, I will not touch on the Spanish protectorates in Morocco, we will only talk about full-fledged colonies - Ifni, Sahara and Guinea.
The lands of the future Spanish (now Equatorial) Guinea were discovered by the Portuguese navigator Fernando Po in the 1470s and went to Spain under the El Pardo Treaty of 1778 (the one that summed up).
Formally, the territory was subordinate to the Viceroy of La Plata, but after the failure of the first expedition of Joaquin Primo de Rivera due to a rebellion in 1780, no Spaniards were observed in those parts for more than half a century. But after a few decades, the ubiquitous British showed up there.
In 1827, British Captain William Owen moved his anti-slaver base from Sierra Leone to Fernando Po, establishing Port Clarence. The fight against slave traders of predominantly Portuguese origin continued until 1835.
In 1839-1841, the British negotiated the sale of the territory with the Spaniards, a bill on this was even submitted to the Spanish Cortes, but the sale was blocked by the regent of Spain, General Baldomero Espartero.
After that, the Spaniards finally attended to getting to their land. In March 1843, the Spanish brigantine Nervio arrived at Fernando Po, whose captain Juan José Lerena y Barri proclaimed Spanish sovereignty and renamed Port Clarence Santa Isabel. The colony received official name"Spanish territory in the equatorial Gulf of Guinea".
This event did not greatly change the situation on the spot, because the Nervio both sailed and sailed away, the British merchant and entrepreneur John Beecroft, who lived on the island, who had the position of British consul in the Benin / Biafra region, also received the post of Spanish governor.
Even at the founding of Port Clarence, Captain Owen brought a group of free educated Africans from Sierra Leone to establish a permanent colony. A few years later, the British Missionary Society brought a group of English-speaking Negroes from Jamaica. It was they who took a privileged position in the society of Fernando Po, being intermediaries between local residents and Europeans.
Valmaceda, who visited the island shortly after Port Clarence became Santa Isabel, found there a prosperous African aristocracy who spoke English, traded with Nigeria, and sent their children to study in England. Guemar de Aragon, who visited the island in the late 1840s, wrote that "900 civilized Negroes (negros civilizados) and only 15 Europeans live in Santa Isabela. They (i.e. Negroes) marry in Protestant Church call themselves English and everyone speaks English."
For the first decades, the advance of Spain in the new colony was predominantly the private affair of missionaries and travelers. In 1848, Jesuit missionaries appeared on Fernando Po, who founded the first schools. True, in 1872 the Jesuits were again expelled from Spain, but the Claretins continued their work in Guinea.
In 1884, a Hamburg merchant described the situation in these lands as follows: "Spain has no colonies on this land, does not conduct any trade. Only the governor and several officials live on Fernando Po ... The country does not bring any benefit to Spain, only losses."
The first real Spanish governor (Carlos Chacon) finally appeared in these parts in 1858, in 1861 a Spanish garrison appeared on the island - a company of colonial (now marine) infantry was transferred from Cuba.
Since 1862, the Spanish administration in Cuba began to deport blacks who were at fault (including for political reasons) to Fernando Po. It was a few thousand Afro-Cubans, merging with the descendants of the colonists from Sierra Leone and Jamaica, who eventually formed the dominant black stratum of the Fernando Po society - "Fernandinho".
In 1885-1887, the Spanish traveler Manuel Iradier actually annexed the lands on the continent opposite Fernando Po (Rio Muni) to Spain, signing agreements with hundreds of native leaders. Rio Muni officially became a Spanish colony in 1900, when a treaty was signed with France that defined the boundaries of Spanish and French colonial possessions in Africa.
Only in the late XIX century, after the loss of Cuba and the Philippines, the Spanish government turned its attention to the African colonies. On July 11, 1904, the first two royal decrees were issued to regulate the administration of the colony.
On February 26, 1907, Governor-General Ángel Barrera y Luando issues the first regulation on the development of the colony. Three goals are stated: education, Hispanization and evangelization. Introduced compulsory education of the local population in Spanish. Among other things, the regulation ordered English-speaking Protestant missionaries to preach exclusively in Spanish.
In the first decades of the 20th century in Spanish Guinea (officially a colony under this name, which united all Spanish possessions in equatorial Africa, was created on August 11, 1926), a profound transformation takes place. Under the leadership of white landowners, extensive plantations of cocoa (on Fernando Po) and coffee (in Rio Muni) are being created, and logging is actively developing. The production of the colony is export-oriented, so roads and ports are being intensively built.
In 1908, a colonial guard (colonial guard) was formed from black soldiers led by Spanish officers. Since 1923, local residents have been recruited into the Spanish Legion.
In 1914, a new regulation on education was adopted, establishing a three-level system of education in Spanish. Despite the protests of the local population, compulsory education was introduced for all children (both boys and girls) from 8 to 14 years old.
In total, 20 complete secondary schools have been created: 10 in Rio Muni, 7 in Fernando Po, one each on the other islands. The most capable continued their studies at the school in Santa Isabela, which trained teachers and officials from the local population.
In 1901, the first local newspaper, El Echo de Fernado Po, was published in Santa Isabela.
On July 17, 1928, an institution of patronage over the local population (Patronato de Indigenos) was created, designed to promote the Guineans to civilization.
At the same time, one minor event occurred - in 1927, a young naval officer, Luis Carrero Blanco, spent several months in Guinea. For the next half century, the future "gray eminence" Franco will become one of the few (if not the only) Spanish figures who were really interested in colonial issues.
The establishment of the Republic significantly worsened the situation of the local population. Since May 1931, under the leadership of the governors-general, Guinea has been turned into a huge cocoa plantation and sawmill, with disenfranchised locals working 12-14 hours a day for them. The system of patronage and local education was abandoned. At the same time, the Republicans still persecuted the Claretin monks, traditionally the protectors of the local population, especially when the socialist Luis Sánchez Guerra became governor-general in 1935. The only political party allowed in the colony in those years was the Popular Front.
As a result, Spanish Guinea (since 1935 officially called the "Spanish Territories in the Gulf of Guinea") became the scene of the Civil War.
On September 19, 1936, the commander of the colonial guard, Lieutenant Colonel Serrano, raised an uprising on Fernando Po, arrested Sanchez Guerra and, on behalf of Franco, proclaimed himself Governor General. Lieutenant Governor Miguel Hernandez Porcel, who was on the mainland in Rio Muni's capital, Bata, refused to recognize the coup.
On September 23, 1936, the Francoists organized an attack on Bata, Porcel with his troops came out to meet them. They met near Komandochina, on the Ekuku River. On both sides were black soldiers led by white officers. Only some shouted "Alto en nombre de la República!", while others shouted "Arriba España!" In a short battle, the Republicans won, 2 native soldiers were killed, the Francoists fled to French territory, to Gabon.
At Bata, the victorious Republicans arrested all the priests, nuns and supporters of Franco, whom they called "clerics", arranging a floating prison from the only ship in the colony, the Fernando Po.
In October 1936, the nationalist ship "Ciudad de Mayun" arrived in Santa Isabel with the Mauritanian division of the Legion. With his help, Serrano was able to cross over to Rio Muni and defeat the Republicans in Bata. Now it was their turn to flee to French territory, to Gabon.
The transition of the colony to the Francoists led to a significant improvement in the situation of the local population. In 1937, the powers of the native leaders were confirmed.
On September 29, 1938, Franco reforms the institution of patronage. The new Statute calls the purpose of patronage "to improve the deplorable state of the native population." Patronage is defined as "a public institution designed to promote, develop and protect the moral and material interests of the natives who cannot stand up for themselves." The patronage achieves its stated goal through the construction of schools, hospitals, shelters, leper colonies, the creation of cooperatives and credit associations.
The construction of these institutions is being activated; in 1943, the high school (bachilerato) of St. Thomas Aquinas was founded in Santa Isabela, which trains native personnel for the local administration.
In order to free local Negroes from labor service on plantations, contracting and importation of agricultural workers from Nigeria to Fernando Po was organized.
The series of reforms ends with the adoption on September 30, 1944 of the Law on. According to him, the entire local population of the colony was divided into "emansepados" and "colored".
The first (as well as their wives and children) were fully equated with white Spaniards, had Spanish citizenship, and, accordingly, all the rights and obligations of a citizen of Spain. To enter this category, a local resident must be over 21 years of age, have a Spanish secondary education, live in the city and lead a Spanish lifestyle for at least 2 years.
Not emancipated blacks lived ordinary life, subject to colonial laws and customary law, if it did not contradict colonial laws, public order and Catholic morality.
In total, the population of Spanish Guinea was about 300 thousand people, of which there were slightly more than 3 thousand Europeans.
The 1944 law also applied to the Spanish Sahara located to the north -.
The colonies of Spain until the nineteenth century occupied a significant part of the land. The Spanish Empire was one of the most powerful feudal powers of the past. Active colonization and geographical discoveries significantly influenced the development of human history. The conquista affected the cultural, linguistic and religious development of many peoples.
Background of colonization
Until the fourteenth century, Spain fought for its independence. Moors and Saracens constantly arrived on their lands from the south and east. Long centuries of struggle eventually ended with the final expulsion of the Arabs from the continent. But after the victory, many problems immediately opened up. Waging wars for several centuries, Spain created several orders of chivalry, and there were many more soldiers than in any country in Europe. The rulers understood that sooner or later this would lead to social revolt. The greatest danger, in their opinion, was the landless younger sons knights - hidalgo.
First to channel their thirst a better life in the right direction for the government, a crusade to the East begins. However, the Saracens put up fierce resistance, which forces the crusaders to retreat. The Spanish colonies in Africa were small and brought little to no profit. At this time, various goods from India were in high demand.
In the view of Europeans, this continent was located not only in the east, but also in the south. Therefore, in order to find the shortest path to it, expeditions were regularly equipped.
Geographic discoveries
The first colonies of Spain appeared after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World - America. At the end of the summer of 1492, three ships sailed under Spanish flags. They were equipped from the treasury of several European countries. In mid-autumn of that year, Columbus landed in the Bahamas. Four months later, it was opened. In search of gold, the Spaniards sometimes went ashore and moved deep into the jungle. On their way, they met the resistance of local tribes. However, their level of civilization lagged behind that of Europe by several centuries. Therefore, it was not difficult for the conquistadors, dressed in steel armor, to conquer the natives.
Eight years later, another expedition sailed, already consisting of a 1,500-strong crew with provisions. They explored a significant part of the coast of South America. New islands have been discovered. After that, an agreement was concluded between Portugal and Spain, according to which the new lands were equally divided between these two empires.
South America
Initially, the Spaniards began to explore the west coast of America. This is the territory of modern Brazil, Chile, Peru and other countries. Spanish orders were established in the new lands. Administrations settled in large settlements. Then the armed detachments went to conquer new lands.
Then settlers arrived from Europe. The local population, in particular Bolivia, was taxed.
Most of all, the Spaniards were interested in goods for export. These are gold, silver and various spices. If it was not always possible to get to gold, then the conquistadors found silver in abundance. Loaded ships arrived at the ports every month. A huge amount of imports led eventually to the decline of the entire empire. Inflation began, which led to poverty. The latter gave rise to several uprisings.
North America
The colonial countries of Spain had some sovereignty. They obeyed Valladolid on federal rights. Spanish culture and language developed on the occupied lands. In the colony of Rio de la Plata, local Indians caused problems. They hid in the jungle and occasionally raided.
Therefore, the government of the viceroyalty had to hire soldiers from neighboring colonies to fight the partisans, who, in addition, also staged robberies and pogroms.
For four decades, the Spanish colonists managed to open more than twenty colonies in the New World. Over time, they united into large viceroyalties. In the north was the largest colony - New Spain, which was discovered by Hernan Cortes - legendary person, which is often associated with the mythical city of Eldorado.
Before the active intervention of Great Britain, the conquistadors created colonies of Spain along the entire coast of South and North America. List of modern countries that were formerly colonies of Spain:
- Mexico.
- Cuba.
- Honduras.
- Ecuador.
- Peru.
- Chile.
- Colombia.
- Bolivia.
- Guatemala.
- Nicaragua.
- Part of Brazil, Argentina and USA.
Administrative device
Countries- former colonies Spain in this territory is the USA (southern states) and Mexico. Unlike the colonies on the southern mainland, here the conquistadors met a more advanced civilization. Once upon a time, the Aztecs and Mayans lived on these lands. They left behind a huge architectural legacy. Expeditionary detachments of Cortes met a very organized resistance to colonization. In response, the Spaniards acted extremely cruelly towards the indigenous population. As a result, its numbers rapidly declined.
After the creation of New Spain, the conquistadors moved west and founded Louisiana, East and West Florida. Some of these lands were under the control of the metropolis until the nineteenth century. But as a result of the war with them, they lost everything. Mexico had won its freedom a few years earlier.
Orders in occupied territories
Power in the colonies was concentrated in the hands of the Viceroy. He, in turn, was personally subordinate to the Spanish monarch. The viceroyalty was divided into several regions (if it was big enough). Each region had its own administration and church diocese.
Therefore, many former colonies of Spain still profess Catholicism. Another branch of government was the military. Most often, the backbone of the garrison was made up of mercenary knights, who after some time returned to Europe.
Only people from the mother country could hold high positions in the vice-kingdoms. These were hereditary nobles and rich knights. The descendants of the Spaniards, born in America, according to the law, owned the same rights as the representatives of the mother country. However, in practice they were often oppressed, and they could not occupy any high position.
Relations with the local population
The local population consisted of representatives of various Indian tribes. Initially, they were often subjected to murder and robbery. However, later the colonial administrations decided to change their attitude towards the natives. Instead of robbery, it was decided to exploit the Indian population.
Formally, they were not slaves. However, they were subjected to some oppression and were heavily taxed. And if they did not pay them, they became debtors to the Crown, which was not much different from slavery.
The colonies of Spain adopted the culture of the metropolis. At the same time, this did not cause a sharp conflict. The local population very willingly adopted the traditions of Europeans. In a fairly short period, the natives learned the language. Assimilation was also aided by the arrival of lone hidalgo knights. They settled in the viceroyalties and intermarried with Spain, which is best seen in the example of Louisiana.
After all, in this viceroyalty, over several decades, feudal relations have developed between the local population and the administration.
Loss of colonies
The crisis in Europe reached its peak by the eighteenth century. Spain went to war with France. Inflation and civil strife led to the decline of the empire. The colonies took advantage of this and began to wage wars of liberation. Moreover, in a number of cases, the driving force was not the local population, but the descendants of former colonists, many of whom assimilated. Many historians question whether Spain was a colony of its viceroyalties. That is a hostage of profits from distant lands. More likely. And soon she tried to maintain influence in American lands at any cost. After all, after their rejection, Spain itself almost collapsed.
After Columbus discovered the islands off the coast of America, a stream of seekers of easy prey, warlike hidalgos, Catholic monks and priests poured here from Spain. The center of colonization was the island of Hispaniola (Haiti). The Spanish governor Ovando introduced a system of forced labor for all local residents from the age of 15 and imposed a heavy tax on them. The population of the Antilles actually fell into slavery to the Spanish invaders.
The bloody tragedy of the West Indies, primarily captured by the Spaniards, is revealed in numbers, about 250 thousand Indians lived in Hispaniola, 300 thousand in Jamaica, 60 thousand in Puerto Rico, and on all the West Indies - about 1 million. For half a century of domination of the Spaniards, almost the entire Indian population was exterminated. The colonialists faced an acute problem of labor force. It was resolved by mass importation of black slaves from Africa. The importation of Negro slaves to the West Indies began in 1501, and by 1518 the slave trade was developing widely, as one of the most profitable colonial industries.
Using the West Indies as a base, the Spaniards rush from here to the mainland. Starts from 1510 new stage the conquests of America - the colonization and development of the interior of the continent, the formation of a system of colonial exploitation. In historiography, this stage was called CONQUISTA. the beginning of this stage was laid by the invasion of the conquistadors on the Isthmus of Panama and the construction of the first fortifications on the mainland. In 1513, Blasco Nunez Balboa crossed the isthmus in search of the fantastic "country of gold" - Eldorado. Coming out to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, he hoisted the banner of the Castilian king on the shore. In 1519 the city of Panama was founded - the first on the American continent. Here detachments of conquistadors began to form, heading deep into the mainland. In the same year, a detachment led by Hernando Cortes went north of the Yucanat to conquer the Aztec tribe, where, according to their information, there were precious metals. In 1519-1521. Hernando Cortes with a small detachment of Spaniards, using the struggle between the tribes, conquers Mexico. Here the Spaniards subjected to barbaric destruction the original, high development Aztec culture, plundered and destroyed their magnificent capital - Tenochtitlan.
In 1531-1533. with the same barbarity, the Spaniards plundered and destroyed another center of the peculiar ancient culture of America - the culture of the Incas. They captured a huge territory, which currently houses three states - Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.
In the 30s of the XVI century. The Spaniards penetrated Chile and gradually, overcoming the stubborn resistance of local Indian tribes, captured a vast territory.
Initially, the conquerors divided the whole land among themselves, turning large masses of the local population into their slaves (the repartimiento system). In 1542 and 1545 was introduced by royalty new system- encomienda, according to which the Indians were declared vassals of the king, but were placed under the guardianship (encomienda) of the Spanish colonists, for whom they were supposed to work. In fact, the position of the Indians remained as disenfranchised as before. In the enslavement and oppression of the Indian population played an important role Catholic Church, which seized vast land holdings. Forced conversion to Christianity, a terrorist regime, special requisitions in favor of the church - all this created a particularly difficult situation for the Indians in church possessions. The possessions of the church were so great that they formed entire ecclesiastical states.
Numerous Indian uprisings were brutally suppressed by the combined forces of the colonists, the Spanish government and the Catholic Church.
By the middle of the 30s of the XVI century. Spain took possession of vast territories in South and North America, from which a vast colonial empire was formed. From here precious metals, tobacco, valuable breeds wood and dyes. The main income from the colonies was received by the royal treasury, the Catholic Church and the feudal nobility of Spain, from whose midst viceroys, governors, and the highest officials of the colonies were appointed.
Stages of formation
In the first, the so-called. "island", the period of Spanish colonization (1492-1519), the island of Hispaniola (Haiti) became its center. The Spanish governor Ovando introduced a system of forced labor for all local residents from the age of 15 and imposed a heavy tax on them. During half a century of Spanish domination, almost the entire Indian population of the Antilles died out. According to approximate estimates of contemporaries, by the time the Spaniards appeared, about 250 thousand Indians lived in Hispaniola, 300 thousand in Jamaica, 60 thousand in Puerto Rico, and about 1 million in all the West Indies. labor force problem. It was resolved by mass importation of black slaves from Africa.
Slave labor (mainly in the role of domestic servants) was used by the middle of the 16th century. already quite widespread in Spain itself. For 100 thousand inhabitants of Seville in the 1560s. about 6 thousand accounted for the share of slaves, mostly Africans. The first Spanish ship with a batch of just such Spanish-speaking black slaves (ladinos) came to Hispaniola as early as 1505, and during the reign of Charles V, the practice gained significant scope. The Spaniards did not directly engage in the slave trade from the Black Continent, preferring to turn to the services of the Portuguese first, and then the Dutch, French and British. At the same time, the "hunt for people" directly in the Caribbean Sea has become more and more widespread. At first, the Spaniards tried to replenish the population of their then largest possessions, the islands of Haiti and Cuba, by raiding the smaller islands of the archipelago. Following this, raids began on the coast of Florida and Yucatan.
Using the West Indies as a base, the Spaniards rush from here to the mainland. The mainland of South America was conquered by the Spaniards in fact for 21 years - from 1519 to 1540. In 1519-1521. Hernando Cortes with a small detachment of Spaniards, using the struggle between the tribes, conquers Mexico, plundering and destroying the capital of the Aztecs - Tenochtitlan. In 1531-1533. The Inca Empire was destroyed by the Spaniards. They captured a huge territory, which currently houses three states - Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. In the 30s of the XVI century. The Spaniards penetrated Chile and gradually, overcoming the stubborn resistance of local Indian tribes, captured most of the country.
The conquest of such a vast territory during the life of one generation by extremely limited forces of the conquerors is explained both by the centralized nature of the Indian empires of the Aztecs and Incas with a large number of subordinate tribes, and by the internal state of these empires, which were experiencing a deep crisis by the time the Spaniards appeared. Of course, the higher "technologies" of the Spaniards also played their role: muskets, cannons and horses brought to America. It is important to note, however, that both were used by the conquistadors on a very modest scale and rather played the role of a psychological weapon. The role of an invisible ally in these wars was also played by microbes brought to the continent by Europeans, the lack of immunity to which the Indians led to devastating epidemics. Thus, the population of Central Mexico fell from 25 million in 1519 to 2.65 million in 1568 and 1.6 million in 1620, the population of Peru - from 9 million (1532) to 1, 3 million (1570). Such a catastrophic extinction of the Indians was provoked by European epidemic diseases (smallpox, typhus, measles, diphtheria, mumps, influenza - Africans brought malaria and yellow fever), disruption of the usual economy, heavy exploitation, "end of the world" in the ideological and religious perception of the Indians - not only high mortality, incl. and mass suicides, but also a catastrophic drop in the birth rate.
It should also be noted that with the loss of the surprise factor, it became increasingly difficult for the Spaniards to achieve victories. Indicative in this respect are the so-called. Araucanian wars, during which the conquistadors failed to subjugate the southern regions of Chile.
Events in Europe also directly affected the position of the Spanish colonial empire. As a result of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Spain was forced to grant England a monopoly right (asiento) to import Negro slaves from Africa into its colonial possessions. The British Government transferred this right to the Company South Seas, which opened a network of relevant trading posts along the entire Caribbean coast. During the Anglo-Spanish War of 1739, a British squadron captured Portobello on the Atlantic coast of the Isthmus of Panama. In 1740-1742. The English fleet attacked Cartagena, the coast of Panama, Venezuela and other Spanish possessions. During the Seven Years' War, the British managed to capture Havana. In order to regain its power in Cuba, Spain had to cede Florida to the British for two decades. Under the Treaty of Versailles (1783), signed after the American Revolutionary War, Spain expanded its empire in the Americas for the last time, regaining Florida. In the future, the colonial empire of Spain, due to the weakness of the mother country, is experiencing a gradual disintegration. In the second half of the 90s. 18th century The Spanish crown lost its West Indian colonies of Santo Domingo and Trinidad. But the decisive blow to the Spanish colonial empire was dealt in 1810-26. the war of independence in Latin America and the loss by Spain of all its American colonies, with the exception of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
In the 19th century Spain tried to somewhat improve its shaky positions by taking part in the colonial division of Africa. In 1860, she captured the Ifni region in Morocco; in 1885, Spanish seizures began in Rio de Oro (Western Sahara). However, in the 1890s in Cuba and the Philippines, the liberation struggle against Spanish rule is gaining strength, which leads Spain in 1898 to war with the United States and the complete defeat of the Spanish colonial army. Under the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty, Spain cedes control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the United States to the United States. Guam, which actually meant the end of the imperial period of Spanish history. The sale in 1899 by Spain to Germany of its last colonial possessions in pacific ocean: Carolines, Marianas and Palau.
Early 20th century was marked by the Franco-Spanish expansion in Morocco. In 1912, the final demarcation of the zones of Spanish and French occupations in Morocco took place, followed by a protracted struggle of both European powers with the liberation movement of the local Rif tribes, which culminated in the victory of the first only in 1926. In 1956-59. a significant part of the African lands of Spain gain independence and reunite with Morocco.
a system of capitulations (contracts) was used - a kind of license. Initially, capitulations provided only for the opening of new lands in favor of the crown for a certain reward, then they began to give the right to conquer and control certain areas of America. The conquistadors independently equipped their expeditions and only in case of military success could they claim the title, land ownership and other royal favors.
Part of the booty - usually a fifth ("quintu") - the conquistadors paid to the treasury, another part of the funds was donated to the Catholic Church. The rulers of the newly conquered areas under the name of adelantado became vassals of the crown. Under each adelantado, there was a state treasurer who monitored the fulfillment of the terms of surrender. Such a system operated until the discovery of gold and silver deposits in Mexico and Peru. Until the middle of the XVI century. on the territory of Spanish America, royal emissaries had to suppress the revolts of the conquistadors.
The next important milestone was the creation in 1524 of the Council for the Indies, independent of the institutions of Castile and Aragon. The Council was engaged in the conclusion of capitulations, the equipment of expeditions to America, the appointment of officials of the colonial administration and exercised control over their activities.
Initially, two vice-kingdoms were formed - New Spain with its capital in Mexico City (Mexico and part of Central America) and Peru with its capital in Lima (southeastern part of Central America and South America except the Caribbean coast).
It is no secret that the colonial policy of any state was once a good way to replenish the national treasury. The presence of overseas territories, which formally belonged to one or another power, spoke of its power and prosperity. The colonies of Spain were no exception, which made it one of the most influential states in the world.
Spanish colonial empire
The Spanish colonies included territories located directly in Europe, as well as far beyond its borders: in Africa, America, Oceania, Asia. In general, the acquisition of the status of the most influential state by Spain can be attributed to the era of the greatest geographical discoveries, which, in fact, allowed it to become what it has become.
The period of existence of this public education limited to the XV-XX centuries. The unification of the Spanish lands took place at the end of the 15th century thanks to the union of the Queen of Castile and the King of Aragon. In the same century, they subjugated Granada and completed the fight against the Moors, who were finally expelled from the Iberian Peninsula.
In the same 1492, the great Columbus discovered the New World for Europe, having made his famous journey across the Atlantic. Since then, the Western Hemisphere has become the main goal of the Spanish kings.
Events of the 16th century
During this period, the first settlements of the Spaniards appeared in the Caribbean, and the conquistadors began the destruction of the Aztec and Inca empires in the mainland. Gradually, the Spanish Empire expanded its borders up to the borders of modern Canada and to the southern coast of South America.
The journey of Magellan, which began in 1519, continued by Sebastian Elcano, was organized with the aim of conquering Asia, which, in fact, Columbus failed to do.
As a result of this expedition, Spain extended its influence to the Far East, as a result of which colonies appeared in the Philippines, Guam and other nearby islands.
During the golden age of its reign, the Empire also included:
- Netherlands;
- Belgium;
- Luxembourg;
- a significant part of Italy;
- small territories in Germany;
- lands in France;
- colonies in Oceania, Asia, Africa;
- large areas in North America and South.
Associations of such a large number scattered territories have not yet been achieved by any state.
What did the 17th century bring
In the 17th century, attempts were made to develop Australia. Their result was the discovery of several islands and archipelagos in the South Pacific. The following islands were declared the property of Spain:
Successful and final colonization of these lands, however, was never achieved.
Losses and gains of the 18th century
During this period, the gradual detachment of the colonized territories from huge empire. In particular, in 1713, during the War of the Spanish Succession, most of the European territories departed.
Nevertheless, the search for new lands does not stop: expeditions are organized to the shores of Alaska and Canada in the Pacific Ocean. Having discovered a couple of glaciers and archipelagos, Spain establishes a colony on Vancouver Island.
Events of the XIX-XX centuries
The war under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte played a big role in the issue of detachment. Thanks to the occupation of Spain by the French troops, the colonies were cut off from their mother country. In many of them, the struggle for independence began, which led to the creation of various republics.
To date, the former colonies of Spain - Puerto Rico, Cuba, the East Indies - are absorbed by American influence. The remaining Pacific islands were sold to Germany at the end of the 19th century.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the only territory that Spain continued to hold was Africa. On the black continent, she still owned the Spanish Sahara, Spanish Guinea and Morocco. Each of them gradually moved away from the powerful empire:
- Morocco - in 1956;
- Guinea - in 1968;
- Sahara - in 1976.
Today's empire includes only the Canary Islands and two cities in North Africa - Melilla and Ceuta.
American colonies
The formation of these administrative units has a rather interesting history, which dates back to the fatal mistake of Columbus, who decided that he had found a way to East Asia, and took the American coast for the eastern coast of China or Japan, or India. That is why in the future these lands were called the West Indies.
Spanish navigators, however, continued to look for a way to India, which was dictated by the need for large reserves of gold. In their opinion, there must have been a lot of such amazing spices in the country.
In the meantime, some geopolitical changes took place, and the road to the Indian shores was occupied by Ottoman Empire. It was then that the Spaniards decided, already knowing that the earth was round, to get to the shores of India from the other side, moving west from the Old World.
The result of such reflections were three expeditions organized by Columbus:
Thus, the complete list of American lands under the rule of Spain looked like this:
- Viceroyalties: Peru, New Spain, Rio de la Plata, new Granada.
- Captaincy generals: Florida, Guatemala, Santo Domingo, Yucatan, Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, inland provinces.
The list of Spanish colonies in other parts of the world can be presented as follows:
Summing up, we can say that the reason for the collapse of the most majestic power was the colonial wars and the desire of peoples to get out of colonial oppression. In addition, the ever-increasing power of America in the world political map was a good reason to unleash the American-Spanish conflicts, which consistently led to the defeat of the Spaniards and the transfer of territories off the coast of both Americas to the American government. In addition, at one time the Aragonese crown belonged to Greece, Malta, the Balearic Islands, Corsica and Provence.
