SafekipediaReal Audiencia of Santo Domingo
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo was the first court of the Spanish crown in America. It was created by Ferdinand V of Castile in 1511, but because of disagreements between the governor of Hispaniola, Diego Colon, and the Crown, it was not set up until Charles V reestablished it in 1526.
This court became part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain when that was created two decades later. The president of the Audiencia was also the governor and captain general of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. This gave him important powers to manage the Spanish lands in the Caribbean and along the mainland coasts.
Because of these roles, the Audiencia of Santo Domingo was the main political group in charge of this area during the colonial period. It helped control and govern the Spanish lands in the region.
Structure
Law II describes the duties and areas managed by the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo. This law is part of a bigger set of rules made in 1680, which includes several important dates from 1526 to 1620.
The Royal Audience of Santo Domingo was in charge of overseeing justice in Caracas Province, except for short times between 1717 to 1723 and 1739 to 1742, until a new Royal Audience was created in Caracas in 1786. It also looked after places like Maracaibo, Margarita, Cumaná, Guyana, Barinas, and Trinidad for a period while plans were being made for the new Royal Audience in Caracas.
Because Spain gave Hispaniola to France in 1795, the Royal Audience moved to Santa María del Puerto Príncipe, now known as Camagüey in Cuba, in 1799. The next year, it was set up again as the Royal Audience of Puerto Príncipe. This group was responsible for Cuba, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, and Florida. Later, new Royal Audiences were created in Havana in 1838 and in Puerto Rico in 1831, though the one in Puerto Rico closed in 1853.
— We order that in the City of Santo Domingo on the Island of Hispaniola reside our Royal Audiencia and Chancellory, as it has been established, with a president, who shall be governor and captain general; four judges of civil cases [oidores], who shall also serve as judges of criminal cases [alcaldes del crimen]; a crown attorney [fiscal]; a bailiff [alguacil mayor]; and a lieutenant of the Gran Chancellor; and the other necessary ministers and officials, which will have for district all of the Lesser Antilles, and the coast of Tierra Firme, and in them the Governments of Venezuela, New Andalusia, Riohacha, which is of the Government of Santa Marta; and in Guayana or Province of El Dorado, the regions which it now has and no more; dividing territory in the south with the four Audiencias of the New Kingdom of Granada, Tierra Firme [Panama], Guatemala and New Spain, along the coasts which run along the west of North Sea, with the Provinces of Florida, and with the rest in the North Sea; and that the president-governor-captain general can order and will order what is necessary in military matters and relating to the good governance and defense of said Island of Santo Domingo, according to what the rest of our governors-captain generals of the provinces of our Indies can and should do, and fill the governorships and other offices, should they become vacant in the district of this Audiencia, until we can fill them, and do, apply and provide the other matters that relate to government, and that the judges of said Audiencia do not intervene in these matters, nor the president in those relating to justice, and that all sign the sentences and ordinances of the judges. |
List of Presidents of the Audiencia
Main article: List of colonial governors of Santo Domingo
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.