SPANISH COMMANDERS IN NORTH AMERICA

Introduction

I have divided the Spanish leaders into four geographical parts (which do not correspond tot the Spanish government structure), because of their numbers. I believe that Spain suffered from sending so many of her best talents to the New World. Those men in the Caribbean and South America might not be seen to impact directly on events in British North America (BNA), however their actions certainly had a major indirect impact.

New Spain was the name given to the Spanish Viceroyalty (Virreinato de Nueva España) colonial territory in North & Central America, the Caribbean, plus Asian Pacific.[1] The Spanish extended their empire to encompass a total of four vice-royalties (see map). España Nueva concerns us most in Canada, since British and French interests were continually distracted by the neighbouring Spaniards.

Spain appointed a Virrey (Viceroy) to govern from Mexico City as a capital for New Spain. New Spain included Mexico, Central America, and the current American states of California, Arizona, New Méjico, all of Central America, all of the Caribbean (although much was lost to other European states and pirates), the Philippines, The Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands. The precise northern boundary of New Spain remained undefined until 1819. Spain deployed military troops as far north as Pacific Canada, to block the Russian and British southward movements.

What is perhaps noteworthy is the sheer number of talented men Spain sent to govern her New World. This drain on Spain's manpower (and no doubt the 1588 Armada and other wartime losses), combined with her costs of her European wars, led to Spain's decline as a world power. (There were yet more men required for the vice-royal provinces of: New Grenada, New Castile, and La Plata, which were all in South America.)

I have arbitrarily reduced all titles to an English style (capitalising most nouns) for conformity, lack of access to the original titles, and my own limited translation capabilities. The titles have been translated into Spanish, despite the absence of the original language, since I thought it better to show bad Spanish than none. I have attempted to show accurate historical titles here, however, some may not be accurate as my sources are not always clear about titles, accession dates relative to diplomatic, or military, appointments. The following names are listed chronologically.

ENDNOTES

1             For colonial historical context and terms see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas. For specific office-holders see Index of Colonies and Possessions, at http://www.worldstatesmen.org/COLONIES.html#Spanish.