Date published: 1964-01-01
Source: The Governorship of Spanish Florida (ID122)
Author: TePaske, John J. (ID86)
Primary doc? 0
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Race described: Spanish
Full text? 1
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Content id: 60
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1500-01-01 - 1500-12-31

Ferdinand and Isabella gave Columbus's privileges to other governorsedit

In 1500 Ferdinand and Isabella, desiring to bring the Admiral and his discoveries more closely under royal control, stripped Columbus of all his titles except that of admiral and withdrew many of his political privileges. At the same time they appointed a trusted advisor, Francisco de Bobadilla, to the governorship in Espanola. Later they replaced Bobadilla with another loyal subject, Nicolas Ovando. By putting their favorites into governorships, they could more easily promote and protect royal interests. As new areas of the Indies fell to Spanish arms, the king appointed such officials to rule over this newly acquired territory. Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Panama all received royal governors immediately or soon after conquest. In Peru and New Spain, regions that produced great wealth, the monarch established a viceroyalty, but in smaller provinces the governorship became the principal governmental institution. Like the procurator of medieval Spain, the governor carried out the royal will in territory that the king or vice king could not rule personally. [Note: The captain generalship was another colonial office similar to the governorship. The captain general usually governed an area larger than a governorship and smaller than a viceroyalty.] (Tepaske GSF)

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