Bourbon Reforms

Bourbon Reforms were eighteenth-century measures by Spain’s Bourbon monarchy to centralize imperial administration, strengthen royal control, and increase revenues from its American territories.

Intendancy: A territorial administrative unit governed by an appointed official responsible for finances, justice, and public order. Intendants replaced or constrained older authorities as the Crown sought tighter provincial administration.
War of the Spanish Succession: A European war fought from 1701 to 1714 over the succession to the Spanish throne. Its outcome placed the Bourbon dynasty on Spain’s throne and intensified calls for state renewal.
José de Gálvez: A Spanish statesman who directed major administrative and fiscal reforms in Spain and New Spain. As royal visitor and later minister, he helped implement reforms across the empire.
Expulsion of the Jesuits: The 1767 expulsion of the Society of Jesus from Spain and its overseas territories. Removing the Jesuits extended royal authority over religious institutions and their property.
Habsburg Spain: The Spanish monarchy ruled by the Habsburg dynasty from the sixteenth century until 1700. Bourbon centralization departed from the older dynasty’s more negotiated and fragmented imperial practices.
Royal Tobacco Monopoly: A state monopoly that controlled the production and sale of tobacco to generate government revenue. The Crown expanded monopoly administration to extract more income from colonial markets.
Philip V of Spain: The first Bourbon king of Spain, reigning from 1700 to 1746, with an interruption in 1724. His government began the dynastic shift that launched major changes in imperial administration.
José de Areche: A Spanish colonial official who served as visitador general in Peru during the late eighteenth century. His enforcement of taxation and administrative changes contributed to rising tensions in the Andes.
Túpac Amaru II Rebellion: A large Andean uprising against Spanish rule from 1780 to 1783, led initially by Túpac Amaru II. The rebellion exposed the explosive consequences of tax increases and coercive colonial practices.
Council of the Indies: The Spanish institution that advised the Crown and oversaw legislation and administration for its American territories. Its established authority was challenged as Bourbon rulers shifted decisions toward royal ministers and officials.

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