The Canary Islands after the Conquest: The Making of a Colonial Society in the Early Sixteenth Century

Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. ''The Canary Islands after the Conquest: The Making of a Colonial Society in the Early Sixteenth Century''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982.

Fernández-Armesto’s use of archival documentation to describe the development and subsistence of the Canary Islands colonial society was well composed in order to express the one early Atlantic colonial society and its aspects. Aspects which include provenance of settlers, distribution of land, economic activities (agronomy, irrigation and trade), political institutions, cultural contacts with indigenous people and moral and devotional.[1]  Fernández-Armesto divides the work into nine chapters, the first two which describe the influx of different settlers that migrated to the islands between the years of 1480 and 1526. Colonization of the island was the beginning of a new phase in European overseas expansion by way of mass mobilization of lower-class migrants as well as nobles, soldiers and merchants.

Fernández-Armesto introduces us to the inhabitants of the colony which include: Portuguese, Italians, Catalans (Spanish), Jews, Basques, Negroes and to a lesser extent Moors, Northern Europeans and Moriscos. These groups of people would come to be defined as the settlers alongside of the natives. Chapters three and four are primarily concerned with economic issues. Specifically in regards to the division of soil, which illustrated the process of land grants, cultivation and forms of capital. The sequence of agronomy is the next aspect in regards to economic issues. Fernández-Armesto details the process of exploited commodities such as the already existing forests and the dominate commodity starting dyestuffs, then to wheat and finally sugar.

Much of Fernández-Armesto’s accounts were based on the sugar industry which dominated settlement, land-ownership and foreign trade. Development of sugar cane, grape vines and irrigation lead to discussion of judicial system. The following two chapter discussed the emergence of a framework of government and administrative and judicial problems. These chapters outline the emerging aspects of government within the colonial system. Detailed are the dealings of governorships, the church and seigneurs.

The chapter on trade discusses how trading came about between the islands and outside entities. Due to the lack of subsistent material, high prices to purchase these items and lack of money currency, forms of trading developed between other Atlantic archipelagoes, peninsular Spain and Portugal, mainland Africa, Flanders, England and the New World. The primary item of exchange was clothing. Merchants played a large role as significant vectors of cultural influence and trade. Cultural influence allowed for better understanding of commerce routes, and characteristics of islanders work.

In the final chapter Fernández-Armesto addresses morale and devotion for the inhabitants of the island. This chapter reviews the effects from previously mentioned aspects of chapters prior. A main portion of this chapter refers to the shifting governmental systems that come into play. Prior to Audiencia in 1526, which is also the date marked as the ending of this colonial period, the government and aspects of government were varied from island to island and from governor (or church) to governor (to church).

Overall I enjoyed this book and the contents of it. Fernández-Armesto use of Archivo de Indias at Seville and in Simancas helps to inform those interested in European pre-colonial establishment of the emerging factors which would be modified and applied to following forms of colonialism by Europeans. This book lends an understanding to how European colonization advanced during and immediately following the age of exploration.

[1] P. 1