wHAT'S NEW           Hispanic America USA
                        Early Spanish Colonial
                                      Copyright (c) 1996-97 all rights reserved

         The Organization of the
   Spanish Empire

Contributed by

 Mike Hardwick
   

      Spain had two great Viceroyalties in the New World. One was named New Spain. It included all the Spanish provinces north of the Isthmus of Panama. The other was Peru which covered all of Spanish South America except the coast of Venezuela.

These two great viceroyalities remained unaltered for some two centuries until the coming of the Bourbons. Some 62 Viceroys ruled in New Spain and 41 ruled in Peru over the years.

Technically Spanish Colonial America (including Mexico) was New Spain.

New Spain grew as the savage semidesert north came slowly to be subdued and occupied by missionary friars, miners, ranchers, and military governments. Provinces were added as follows: New Biscay (1562), New Leon (1579), New Mexico (1598), Coahuila (1687, Texas (1718), Sinaloa (1734), New Santander (1746), California (1767).

The Spanish presence on the North American Continent extended from the East Coast to the Pacific as far North in the Pacific as Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island in what is now British Columbia.

Copyright (C) 1996-97


---

E-mail The Webmasters with comments and information