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Government and Treatment of Empire (Slavery (Employment of indigenous…
Government and Treatment of Empire
Trade
Casa Del Contratacion-House of Trade set up in Seville in 1503 to regulate and control all commerce to and from the New World
Seville, and its subsidiary port of Cadiz became the hub for imperial trade
Any merchant who wished to trade with the colonies had to register with the Casa de la Contratacion- crown defended monopoly rigorously, as many foreign merchants and privateers running supplies and slaves to the New World discovered to their cost
Administration
Distances between Marid and Mexico city or Lima so great that they placed significant constraints upon the ability of the crown to rule its far flung possessions directly
Distances between Spain's possessions posed a huge an enormous challenge to the Spanish crown
1524- Charles set up Council of Indies in Madrid reporting directly to the monarch- in each significant province, such as Mexico and Peru a viceroy was appointed
Viceroys in oversea colonies were highly able royal officials who usually held office for 6 years- possessed enormous autonomy and extensive powers- acted as embodiment of the King
Viceroys counter-balanced by local audiencia, councils acting as law courts and local government bodies
Local government structures of Spain replicated in New World- crown also appointed corregidores in each substantial town too
Other
From 1542- colonies administered under the New Laws- governed the conduct of the settlers and of Spanish administration in the New World
Taxes collected, trade regulated and laws enforced
Crown depended on energy of its officials and the compliance of settlers
Slavery
Employment of indigenous population prohibited by Isabella in 1500, although the encomienda system meant there was virtual enslavement for many thousands
1501- Caribbean Colonists were granted royal permission to import slaves from Africa first arriving in 1502
1510- Ferdinand authorised 50 slaves to be sent to Santa Domingo- after 1518 thousands of African slaves crossed the Atlantic each year
1522- huge rise in African slaves in Hispaniola
1530- royal decree stated enslavement of indigenous population was illegal
New Laws of 1542- reiterated the position of the crown that slavery was illegal
Valladolid Debate- 1550- Discussed La Casas findings of indigenous people being treated awfully and murdered by Spaniards- one side said Indians had souls and should be christened, the other said Indians were natural slaves and had no souls