Internal and external causes in the processes of independence
The New Spain in the beginnings of the XIX century was apparently tranquil and prosper. New Spain had magnificent buildings and educational centers, as well as art institutions though there was an extreme illness causes by the economical, political and social problems. During the colony the conspiracies and mutinies were frequent. In such movements the castas the native people and the black people were involved all though, there also existed some insurrection movements leaded by the Criollos and Meztizos.
Some of the causes for such instability in the new Spain were the economical problems formed by the Spanish monopoly, the uncountable prohibitions, the Estancos as well as the Latifundios, the tributary system, the wealth of the clergy and the despoliation of the Indians land.
The new society has established over unequal bases. The Peninsulares people which was born in Spain from Spanish parents, were the head of the society. They held power and money and all the rights but with no obligations.
The Criollos were sons and daughters of peninsulares who were born in the new land, for this reason they were not considered Spanish and could not held any public post.
The Indios, Mestizos and Castas, they lack of rights and were forced to hard labor, had to pay high taxes imposed by the Spanish crown and had very little opportunities.
The black people or Negros represented slavery and were forced to extreme work.
The lack of national identity helped in the processes of independences taking people to consider the ideas that came from Europe and the barely independent 13 colonies as well as the French revolution.
The seven year war
The war that lasted seven years between France and Great Britain (1756-1763) which promoted and increasing distance between the UK and the 13 colonies . England was interested in the products commerce with New Spain for this reason Napoleon in order to establish a commercial siege he decides to invade Spain.
The Napoleonic invasion to Spain and its impact in the colony
In 1792 Manuel de Godoy was named minister of the king of Spain (Charles IV). In May 1801 started a war against Portugal which ended with the commitment of closing commercial ports to English boats. In 1808 Godoy signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau with Napoleon which stipulated the facilities given to the French army to cross by Spanish territory and in this way force Portugal to join the continental blockade and abandoned the treaty held with England.
As a consequence of this treaty Napoleon interfered with the problems of the Royal Portuguese family and felt with the right of doing the same in Spain. Spain was fractured into two parts, one which supported the French and a second group with stand by Ferdinand the prince inheritor of the crown. This group understood that Manuel Godoy “El Principe de la Paz” had sold Spain to France specially when in the city of Bayona the Royal family resigned to the crown of Spain which Napoleon gave to his brother Joseph naming him Joseph I king of all Spain . this fact was known as the “Abdicación de Bayona” (1808). Spanish people was against this act forming “guerillas” and “Juntas locales” which were against Napoleon and proclaimed Ferdinand VII king of Spain. Some of these “Juntas Supremas de España” were located in Sevilla, Cadiz, Aranjuez and Oviedo.
During the invasion of 1812 to the city of Cadiz, representatives of the whole nation met to write a constitution known as “La Constitution de Cadiz” and one year later the French troops retreat from Spanish territory.
