Evaluate the importance of the captaincy system to the political organization in Spanish America.

The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the importance of the captaincy system to the political organization in Spanish America. In colonial Spanish America, captaincies were districts that tried to expand and/or maintain the Spanish authority in isolated regions, usually under serious pressures from foreign invasion or local attacks. Candidates may refer to the role of those who served as captain general (a high military rank of general officer grade) and evaluate the importance of their specific duties and powers that varied according with the requirements of time and place. Candidates may consider that although they were under the jurisdiction of viceroys, their military responsibilities and their isolation made them virtual independent authorities, causing many conflicts and competitions. Candidates may also highlight their close relationship with the king and the Council of the Indies. As examples, candidates may refer to the captaincies of Santo Domingo, Guatemala, New Granada, Cuba, Venezuela and Chile. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

There were no responses to the question that required candidates to evaluate the importance of the captaincy system to the political organization in Spanish America.