7.+Conquest+of+the+Greater+Antilles

=Conquest of the Greater Antilles=

Using Hispaniola as a base, the Spaniards set out during the next few years to establish their hold on the neighbouring islands of the Greater Antilles. These conquests were assigned to private adventurers who were on contract. The contracts were called **CAPICULACION**. These contracts gave each adventurer the title of **ADELANTADO**; the title meant that he would be the governor of the new territory and he would also have the right to collect duties and taxes. Adelantados were also supposed to build up towns in each of the colonies, bring in other Spanish settlers and see about converting Amerindians to Christianity.

__Puerto Rico__ The conquest of Puerto Rico was organised by Ponce de Leon in 1508. When the Spaniards arrived there they met fierce resistance from Caribs who came north from the Leeward islands, however the Caribs lost the battle. The capital of San Juan was built up within a few years. They built mines, sugar plantations and organised cattle ranching.

__Cuba__ Diego Velasquez was the adelantado in this island. He conquered Cuba in 1511.It was a major producer of beef and provisions, these products were picked up by the Spanish fleets on the return to the city of Seville in Spain which was a major port.Around 1750, Cuba became a major sugar producer in the Caribbean.

__Jamaica__ Jamaica was conquered by Juan de Esquivel, it attracted only a few cattle ranchers and farmers and was the least significant and important of the Greater Antilles colonies mostly due to the fact that there were no precious metal. Spanish Town became the capital in 1534. (The capital of Jamaica today is Kingston).

__Trinidad__ Trinidad was occupied by the Spanish in 1532 to serve only as a base for exploration of South America

__Mexico__ In Central and South America, the conquistadores subdued the mainland Amerindians by sword and slavery. Out of the chaos and destruction orderly settlement progressed. Mineral wealth made the mainland empire the focus of Spanish colonisation. The island colonies were fatally neglected after this.


 * __HOW THE SPANISH GOVERNED THE NEW WORLD EMPIRE__**

After the conquest of the mainland, the Caribbean colonies were rules from Spain as part of her huge empire in the Americas. However, the actual work of governing the Empire was done by the following groups of people, the **PENINSULARES**, the **AUDIENCIAS** and the **VICEROYS.**

__Peninsulares__ Peninsulares were men who came from Spain to work in the New Spanish Empire, their role was to make laws and regulations to govern the New World. In order to ensure that rules were obeyed, a council was set up. It was called the **COUNCIL OF THE INDIES** and it was set up in 1524. By 1635 the peninsulares in this council had made more than 400,000 laws controlling life in the Colonies. The laws included laws about what to wear and what order officials should enter the church in.

__Audiencias__ Audiencias were set up to ensure that the laws put in place by the council were obeyed. Audiencias were made up of courts of judges and lawyers as well as other officials and clerks. When the empire was at its biggest size each audiencia supervised an area called a presidency. A president was put in charge of a presidency. Each presidency also had its own governor. Remote areas ere put in the charge of captain generals. Below these senior officials were many gvernment servants who were lower in rank

__Viceroys__ The head of all officials were the viceroys. Viceroys were in charge of viceroyalties. There were 4 viceroyalties, they were Mexico, La Plata, Peru and New Granada. Viceroys were treated like royalty because they were representatives of the king and the queen. The work of his officials were inspected by audiencias and his financial records were inspected by a **VISITADOR** who came unannounced from Spain to check that the viceroy was not using his position for profit. At the end of his term, the viceroy had to hold a **RESIDENCIA**, which was a public meeting in which the viceroy's work was questioned.


 * __HOW THE SPANISH MAINTAI NED ECONOMIC CONTROL OF THE NEW WORLD EMPIRE__**

The Spanish set up an organisation called the **HOUSE OF TRADE (CASA DE CONTRATACION)** to control all economic activity in the Spanish Empire. This organisation was based in Seville in Spain and it operated from 1503 to 1707.

The Spanish based all of their economic activity on the **MERCANTILE (PROTECTIONIST) THEORY.** This economic theory stated that it was essential to protect Spain's trade and empire by ensuring that other countries did not get to trade in that empire and that the exotic goods from the Spanish Empire were only carried in Spanish ships. In other words the goods produced in the Spanish Empire could only be shipped to Spain in Spanish ships to promote Spain's wealth. (Spain had a MONOPOLY on the goods from the Spanish Empire).

The only way that a non-Spanish country was able to trade in the Spanish Empire was if their government was given an **ASIENTO** from Spain.The Asiento was permission given by the Spanish government to other countries to sell slaves to Spanish colonies in the Americas. (Asientos were given to the following countries during the following years; Portugal 1517-1640; Portugal 1663-1702; France 1702-1713; Britain 1713-1750).

The production of silver, gold, precious stones, hides or animal skins, dyes, tobacco and sugar gave Spain a vast supply of wealth that was protected by a **CONVOY SYSTEM** (a convoy is a group of ships traveling together for protection). There were also Coast Guards or **GUARDA- COSTAS** to watch for incoming invaders and to fortify port cities.

The early economic development of the empire rested on the encomienda, but the Amerindian labour force was soon exterminated and replaced by African slaves.