Bourbon reconquest of Spanish America, the long 18th century

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Bourbon reconquest of Spanish America, the long
18th century

• Spain from predator to prey
• War of Spanish Succession,
• 10 European wars 5 against Britain, 4 against
  France
• Secret Report on the Americas, Jorge Juan and
  Antonio de Ulloa (1748)
• Bourbon reforms or reconquest (see chronology)
• Resistance, revolt and rebellion, case of Peru
• Jose Santos Atahualpa, 1742-50s, eastern Peru
• Túpac Amaru uprising, central highlands, 1780-83
• Tupac Katari, aymara-based, upper peru, 1781
• Alienation of Americanos

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Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa, Noticias
secretas de las Americas (4 vols, 1748)

• the most damaging denigration of Spain's rule in
  the New World. (first English trans. 1825)
• Thorough diagnosis of colonial ills
• defenses, political administration, commerce,
  justice, and plight of the Indians
• Administration In these parts the friendship
  of a minister is worth more than any royal
  proclamation.
• Justice Whoever pays the most, gets the most
  justice.
• Indians they are genuine slaves

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Bourbon reconquest of Spanish America, the long
18th century

• Spain from predator to prey
• War of Spanish Succession,
• 10 European wars 5 against Britain, 4 against
  France
• Secret Report on the Americas, Jorge Juan and
  Antonio de Ulloa (1748)
• Bourbon reforms or reconquest (see chronology)
• Resistance, revolt and rebellion
• The long shadow of Túpac Amaru (Peru, 1780-83)
• and the great fear of Haiti (1791-)
• Alienation of Americanos

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Bourbon reforms or reconquest?

• Substantial economic growth in 18th century
  fueled by mining, tropical agriculture (cacao,
  cochineal, sugar), regional trade, and reforms
• Administrative reforms
• New Viceroyalties Nueva Granada, Rio de la
  Plata
• Expulsion of Jesuits (1767)
• Colonial militias (1768)
• Formation of Intendancies (1784, 6)
• Commercial reforms
• Free trade decrees, 1764, 1778
• Abolition of corregidor (1782), reparto de
  comercio (1784)
• Imperial reconquest

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Registered Silver Production, 1580-1800
Mexicos 18th c. boom outstripped Perus 16th
c.(Burkholder and Johnson, p. 139)

• Peru, 18th c. recovery, 1720
• Mexico, 18th c. boom, 1720
• Why 18th c boom?
• New strikes, more areas
• Cheaper mercury, reduced taxes
• More investment

Mexico
Peru
Peru
Mexico
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Bourbon reforms or reconquest?

• Imperial reconquest
• Appointments based on merit, connections, instead
  of purchase, 1750s-
• Consolidation of Vales Reales
• Reformation of colonial rule, or deformation?
• Viceroy Revillagigedo, 1794 It should not be
  forgotten that this is a colony which must depend
  on its mother country, Spain, and must yield her
  some benefit because of the protection it
  receives from her and thus great skill is needed
  to cement this dependence and to make the
  interest mutual and reciprocal for dependence
  would cease once European manufactures and
  products were not needed here.

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Resistance, revolt and rebellion.3 cases in Peru

• Resistance and revolts were not unusual
• In 18th century regional-wide rebellions emerged
• 1. Juan Santos Atahualpa, 1742-1750s, eastern
• a descendant of the Inca Atahualpa came to
  reclaim his ancestral kingdom
• 1750 Many of those referred to Indians,
  mestizos and destitute whites anxiously await
  the invasions of the rebel Atahualpa, and if he
  (god forbid) marched on Lima with two hundred
  arrow-wielding Indians, one might fear...a
  general insurrection of the Indians
• Spanish fortified eastern frontier to contain
  rebellion

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Rebellions in Upper Peru, 1742-17831. J.S.
Atahualpa2. Túpac Amaru3. Túpac Katari
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The long shadow of Túpac Amaru (Peru, 1780-83)

• 2. Tupac Amaru (Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui)
• after failure of appeals to Viceroy and Audiencia
  for removal of corregidor
• disinherited noble reclaiming rightful
  sovereignty over Tawantinsuyu
• neo-Inca messianic movement near Cuzco (opposed
  by Aymara speakers in Bolivia)
• violence alienated creoles quechua speakers
  divided
• Captured, drawn, and quartered May 18, 1781.
• 3. Túpac Katari (aymara speakers, La Paz and
  south) captured and quartered Nov. 14, 1781.
• 3 years of war 100,000 lives lost. Legacy of
  fear/hope of native rebellion

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End