Natives and Slaves New Granada

Natives and Slaves

New Granada was less profitable to Spain than New Spain or Peru. During the most of its history it was technically inferior to Peru, but for the most part it functioned autonomously. Still it was as thoroughly subordinate to royal authority as the other territories of the empire. But however different these two territories might be, the pattern of government was the same, with minor variations, as that found elsewhere in Spanish America (Blutstein, 1991).

The earliest authorities were the leaders of certain expeditions, who were granted full powers of government and whose status was gradually transformed into a more stable governorship under such titles as governor, town magistrate (corregidor), and mayor. The jurisdiction of the governor was usually greater than that of the other two and less certainly associated with the government of a town. An early governor usually created a town council as one of his first acts upon establishing a settlement. The municipal power, except where it was obstructed by rough terrain or wide stretches of wilderness or desert, often stretched for hundreds of miles until it became adjacent with the jurisdiction of another municipality. This system of provincial administration in Spanish America was reformed late in the colonial period during the reign of Charles III by the establishment of internal political subdivisions called intendencies (intendencias), under intendents who were responsible for the more centralized and efficient administration of areas larger than the old provinces. The system was not formally established in the New Kingdom of Granada because of opposition, but a good deal of the terminology of the system and some of its substance appeared in the government (Blutstein, 1991).

This reformed form of governance was the main factor why the natives and slaves initiated series of revolts. The rebellion, involving many towns, was unstructured but diffused movement giving expression to all forms of resentment against the government. The most significant revolution began and continued from Socorro (in Santander). It was stimulated by the imposition of new taxes by the viceroy and later by actions of a regent, Juan Francisco Gutierrez de Pineres. The rebels, expressed their loyalty to the king and the church while calling for a cancellation of the new taxes and a modification of government monopolies, especially on tobacco and rum. The government wanted new revenues to wage war with England (Blutstein, 1991).