From Castilla del Oro to the Royal Court and Back Cities and Political Representation in the Spanish Atlantic, 1510–1573

Although there never was a representative Cortes for the New World, and American cities were never summoned to take part in those held in Castile until 1812, every city or town, no matter its size or population, found ways to communicate and negotiate directly with the Crown and take an active part...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Díaz Ceballos, Jorge
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/378829
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/378829
https://doi.org/10.1163/18770703-14010002
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Early Modern History
Atlantic History
Spanish Empire
Latin American History
Colonization
Political Cultures
Descripción
Sumario:Although there never was a representative Cortes for the New World, and American cities were never summoned to take part in those held in Castile until 1812, every city or town, no matter its size or population, found ways to communicate and negotiate directly with the Crown and take an active part in politics. Shortly after their foundation, Spanish cities in the New World were granted permission by the Crown to appoint representatives to assist in their affairs, defend them before royal councils and tribunals, and pursue their rights, among other functions. The cities of Castilla del Oro – present day Panama – provide a case study of how representatives of American councils acquired urban privileges. Their example highlights the role of the individual and collective agents who actually defined its politics and so provides a more balanced interpretation of the construction and management of power in the Spanish Monarchy. Ultimately, to understand how it functioned, we need to look beyond the formal government institutions that have dominated accounts of its operation