Spanish Empire

The British Empire was an imperial complex centered on

The Spanish empire was an imperial complex centered on Spain.

Structure

The empire was principally subdivided into royal councils. These were:

• Councils of Aragon and Castille, corresponding to the constituent Iberian kingdoms and their distinct peerages

• Council of Portugal (during the Iberian Union)

• Council of Italy
• Council of the Indies
• Council of Flanders

There were also up to a dozen royal appelate courts (real audiencia) based in various cities. These jurisdictions were highly variable.

Administratively, the colonies were governed as viceroyalties.

New Spain

Theviceroyalty of New Spain was created to oversee all of the New World and Asian colonies. It fell under the purview of the Council of the Indies.

The viceroyalty was then subdivided into several captaincy generals:

• Santo Domingo, with a real audiencia also of Santo Domingo

• Philippines, with a real audiencia in Manila

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The viceroys and governor-generals that oversaw these administrations, respectively, were all royal appointments with effectively absolute power. (Governor-generals chaired the corresponding audencias ex officio.)

Peru

New Grenada

In 1777 the viceroyalty of New Spain was split, with most of South America being moved into the new viceroyalty of New Grenada.

The subdivisions were:

• Venezuela, with a real audencia in Caracas

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Rio de la Plata

The southern portion of the viceroyalty of Peru was split off in 1776, establishing the viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires served as the capital.

Following the May Revolution, royalists moved the capital to Montevideo. José Rondeau captured the city in 1814, permanently ending the viceroyalty.

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