Spanish rule over the Americas was based
on fostering ignorance within the people, disregard
for human dignity. Books could not be published and
sold in America without the permission of the
Consejo de Indias several cases were recorded
of severe punishment of men who disobeyed this rule.
Natives could not avail themselves of the advantage
of the printing pages.
Communication and trade with foreign nations were
forbidden. All ships found in American waters without
license from Spain were considered enemy. Nobody not
even Spaniards could come to America without the
permission of the King, under penalty of loss of
property and even loss of life. Spaniards only could
trade, keep stores, sell goods in the streets. The
indians and mestizos could engage only in mechanical
trades.
Commerce was on the hands of Spain, and taxes
were often prohibitive. Even domestic commerce,
except under license, was forbidden.
The establishment of industry, opening of roads
and improvement of any kind were often stopped by the
government. Charles IV remarked that he did not
considered learning advisable for America.
Americans were often denied the right of public
office .Great personal service or merit was not
sufficient to destroy the dishonor and disgrace of
being an American.
In colonial America there was a general race
hatred. The indians ( native Americans ) and the
mestizos ( mixed race ) as a rule, hated the creoles
or American whites, who often were as bad, or even
worse than, the Spanish colonists in dealing with
aborigenes.
This racial confrontation created a huge obstacle
for the independence movements in Spanish-America
greater than the Spanish army. The early success of
Boves can be explained in this terms : The mestizos
that followed Boves, hated the creoles more than they
love their freeom from Spanish's rule. Often in a
conflict between Spain and the colonies, the mestizos
sided with Spain against the creoles, who did most of
the thinking, and who were interested and concerned
with all the changes through which the Spanish nation
might pass.
Furthermore, it is necessary to remember that
education and information in general was very limited
in the Spanish colonies.
These were the conditions of the Spanish-American colonies at the begining of the nineteenth century, full of agitation and conflicting ideas that will lead to the long struggle for independence in every country of the continent.
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this page was created by:
Cruz M.Cancel Hagerstown, MD, U.S.A. 7-8-1.998
© 1997 Cruz Cancel