Featured Spanish Documents/Books

I think it will be easier to make 1 thread and add to it rather than numerous threads. so here it is I will try to add a few different pieces a week as time permits. I guess I should start with the oldest first and work my way up. I will also include what little bit of historical knowledge I possess on the items as well as any translations I had done.

1743 (24 Dec) King Phillip V, document concerning the Bishop of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca, Mexico and the donation process for the church. it has a water stain and a little damage at the top which made a few words unintelligible in the translation.

In 1700, King Phillip 5th Took the throne under strained relations as His Grandfather Louis 14th had no direct descendent. Upon Louis death he had made it in his will for him to become King of Spain with foresight to try to Unify Spain and France in 1 Throne. It produced the Spanish Succession War that lasted for 14 years.

Phillip 5th was the first member of the House of Bourbon to reign in Spain. This document is from near the end of his reign. Phillip took there throne and could not read/speak Spanish and he refused to sign his Spanish name, but would sign his French name. (When he did sign documents). Mostly he would have an official sign his documents for him and apply the wax seal.

This document is for the persuading of Indians and others to support the catholic church and raise funds for the Holy Crusade. From the native speaker I had translated the documents it was written to a shadow extent of promising those who support the church monetarily with passage to heaven.

 

Thanks for sharing this coffeyce, I find any documents or books 1800 and older very interesting I collect early documents but mostly of American history. The most interesting part of collecting documents and books for me is thinking about someone 300 years ago writing something or reading something which I can physically hold in my hands.

 

I love old documents no matter what country basedon the same things. I also love the old seals and water marks. People really made things of beauty and pride back then.

Now i do have a few documents from the what was left of the spanish colonies of Florida Louisiana ect. Not many but a few. Most of mine cover Philipeans, Americas and the Indies.

I have about 30 documents if the 150 that I would consider significant.

Things such as birth marriages and deaths of royalty, sainthood decrees, inquisition documents, creation/abolishment of the constitution, abolishment of slavery, creation of holidays, striping away a kings right of ascencion and changing of government during war and religious changes.

I love holding something that changed a nation and a religion as most cover catholic religion.

Now keep in mind there were about 20-40 originals made depending on thenumber of colonies at the time and who else was needed on the distributionlist ie. The pope or government offices.

I probably spent 2-5 hours on each document doing research and other processing then having some professionally translated.

 

Here we have 2 documents seperated by 6 years but doing the same things. I was very fortunate to locate and obtain both peices.

Background:

In 1808 The french Invaded Spain and further Kidnapped King Ferdinand 7th and his father King Charles 4th and held them in France. Napoleon then put his brother joseph on the Throne as King. The people didnt really care for Ferdinand 7th but they would never accept a French King forced upon their Spanish throne. On 2-3 May 1808, the peoples discontent boiled over and a confrontation between Spaniards and French forces ensure and there were mass casualties.

On 30 May 1811, the Cadiz Cortez, invoking the authority of King Ferdinand 7th in his absence authorized a national holiday "Dos Mayo" to remeber the heroic countrymen who refused to bow to French tyranny. The holiday is still celetbrated today in Spain.

The Cadiz Cortez was composed of mostly libreral politicians and such and they wanted to take the the power from the monarch and give it to the people and they passed many laws and changed many things to this means. One main pieces they produced was the 1812 Constitution (La Pepa) which is argued to have caused many of Spain's colonies to revolt for freedom.

Upon return from captivity King Ferdinand 7th before he was allowed to return as king he was made to uphold the new constitution. He agreed and soon after taking back the throne the nobles told him he was tricked into surrendering his God given right. He immediately abolished the constitution and abolished the Cadiz Cortez decrees and laws. and upon reviewing them if he decided it was needed he would write a new decree. Most of these liberals were also imprisoned for their anti-monarch thinking. King Ferdinand 7th reviewed the abolished decrees and decided if they were needed.

The second document is such. On 19 Sep 1817, King Ferdinand Issued a decree abolishing the aforementioned decree and establishing his own 2 May holiday for Spain and its possessions.

 

Interesting. I spent many days looking through literally tons of 18th and early 19th C. Spanish govt documents known as the East Florida Papers in the US library of Congress. Usually the LOC only allows access to microfilms of these documents but since the microfilms I needed one week were already in use they brought out the originals. This collection has all of the letters and other documents from the Spanish governor's office in St. Augustine as of the cession of East Florida to the US in 1821. Most is in Spanish longhand but some were in English. In that collection was some of the most interesting stuff I've ever read. A lot of reports are really down to earth. One was the interview of a dying pirate by a law enforcement official asking the pirate to describe his crimes. The report was in English. The pirate had been shot by citizens after being caught robbing homes. I'd rather read that sort of material than watch most of the movies that come out these days.

 

Thats very cool. I offered the university of Florida copies of these for their archives. I think they downloaded the pictures from my website.

 

Its funny you mention Florida, my next piece is related.

1760 (1 Jun) King Carlos 3rd, An acknowledgement of the Bishop of Havana’s contribution for the successful removal of some prisoners who took refuge in the churches of Cuba, and whose right to asylum was granted by an indult issued by a tribunal of the said city, thus guaranteeing the prisoners’ immunity for their transfer to the jail in Florida. The silver fish had a great time with this one.



King Carlos 3rd and 4th, never did sign their names on official documents but had a wooden stamp made of their signatures to use. Some of there documents have wonderful watermarks.

 

Here is a nice one for any Catholics in the audience.

1790 (20 Dec) King Carlos 4th, decree allowing people of the church to eat meat on Saturdays during holy fasting.

 

Here is also another Catholic related piece.

1792 (23 Jan) King Carlos 4th, concerning the beatification of Don Juan Palafox y Mendoza. He died in 1659 and his canonization first started not long after his death and he was not finally proclaimed blessed until 5 June 2011. A very long wait.

 

Here is a very interesting document.

1794 (28 Apr) King Carlos 4th, birth and baptism of the kings youngest son, Carlos Francisco de Paula.

I find it interesting because Carlos had a twin brother Felipe, who doesn't get mentioned in the birth and baptism document. I assume because Carlos was born first and was 1st to succeed the throne. Both boys were celebrated by the Spanish people as securing the Royal bloodline. Sadly both boys died before their second birthday.

 

Here are 2 directly related pieces. There are 1809 and 1810, after King Ferdinand 7th was kidnapped by France, the Spanish Government was like a snake without a head. This first document is a stove-piper restructure of the remaining Spanish government.

1. 1809 (28 Sep) King Ferdinand 7th document, The creation by Royal decree of the Junta Supreme Tribunal and Council of Spain and the Indies, which took over the
functions of the previously existing Councils operating in Madrid and consequently declared illegal after the invasion by the French of the said city.
The government machinery is reorganized detailing the corresponding functions and benefits of every ministry official.



2. 1810 (24 Feb) King Ferdinand 7th Document dissolving the Junta Supreme Central Government and Establishing the Counsel of Regency.

 

Here is a interesting piece from the Captain General (Governor) 1867 abolishing Slavery in Cuba following Spains decree. What was interesting was the law was passed to each Parish for their aknowledgement which showed the power the Catholic Church still held even in the late 1800`s.

This was a big move in Cuba because it came close to crippling Sugar and guano production.

 

The original 30 page pamphlet passed to the churches concerning the abolishment of slavery.