South America On The Eve Of Emancipation

on the, Eve of Emancipation The Southern Spanish Colonies in the Last Half-Century of their Dependence By Bernard Moses, Ph. D., LL. D. Professor in the University of California G. P. Putnam s Sons New York and London ftnfcfterbocheir press 1908 PREFACE IN a book called The Establishment of Spanish Rule in America, published in 1898, the pre sent writer gave some account of the origin and earlier history of the institutions framed for the government of Spanish America. This volume aims to present some phases of colonial history and social organization in the last part of the eight teenth century, particularly as they appear in the southern half of South America. The annals of the colonies furnish interesting episodes, but not material for a sustained dramatic narrative. There are periods in the history of some of the colonies, during which one observes few social changes. Men live as their fathers lived and die as their fathers died and the history of their communities for generations may be told in a few sentences. In attempting to make a connected story of the events of these periods, a writer runs the risk of producing merely a chronicle, or of doing violence to the perspective of time. The task here undertaken is to present certain con spicuous events, institutions, and phases of life, that may illustrate the state of the southern Spanish colonies on the eve of the revolution which gave them independence. iv Preface Many of the statements of these chapters apply generally to Spain s possessions in America. But the physical environment of the colonies within the tropics made prominent certain fea tures of social growth unlike those which appeared in the temperate regions. The stateof society in the northern part of South America, during the later decades of the colonial period, is thus a subject by itself, and is put aside for another volume. B. M. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGB I. THE CAPITAL OP SOUTH AMERICA . i II. THE VlCEROYALTY OP RlO DE LA PLATA. 32 III. AN INTERIOR PROVINCE ... 58 IV. THE COLONIAL CITY ... 75 V. THE SOCIAL CLASSES .... 100, VI. THE CHURCH AND ITS RELATION TO THE CIVIL POWER . ., .119 VII. A COLONIAL UNIVERSITY . . . 143 VIIL AN OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE INDIANS . 167 IX. THE INDIAN REVOLT UNDER TUPAC AMARU ...... 193 X. THE CAPTAINCY-GENERAL OF CHILE . 218 XL THE TAKING OP BUENOS AIRES BY THE ENGLISH ..... 254 XII. THE RECONQUEST .... 280 XIII. COLONIAL INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE . 300 XIV, THE PUBLIC REVENUE . . . 328 INDEX ..., ., .341 SOUTH AMERICA ON THE EVE OF EMANCIPATION CHAPTER I THB CAPITAL OF SOUTH AMERICA THE Spanish colonial settlements established within the limits of the territory now claimed by the republics of Argentine, Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay, were politically subordinated to the viceroy of Peru during their first two hund red years. In fact, down to nearly the middle of the eighteenth century all the territory under Spanish rule in South America was subject to this authority. The political centre, the capital in which resided the government recognized throughout this vast domain, was the city of Lima. By the final establishment of the vice royalty of Santa P6, in 1739, the northwestern part of this territory was brought under a new viceroy. The southeastern part of the continent continued under the jurisdiction of the viceroy 2 The Eve of Emancipation of Peru, until 1776, when the viceroyalty of Rio de laPlata was created. This distribution of territory was modified in 1796, by withdraw ing certain districts northwest of Lake Titicaca from the viceroyalty of Rio de La Plata and adding them to the viceroyalty of Peru. In 1802 Peru acquired from the viceroyalty of Santa F6 the districts of Maynas and Quijos, except the town of Papallacta and, in 1804, it was determined that the provinces of Guayaquil and Chilo6 should be subject to the government of Lima...