Captaincy General facts for kids

The Captaincy General was a special kind of area in the old Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Think of it like a big military district. These areas were set up because they faced dangers, like attacks from other countries or from local groups of people. The person in charge of a Captaincy General was called a Captain General.

What Was a Captaincy General?

A Captaincy General was a part of a larger colonial area called a viceroyalty. A viceroyalty was a huge territory ruled by a "viceroy," who was like a king's representative. But some parts of these viceroyalties needed extra protection. That's where Captaincies General came in. They were like special military zones.

Why Were They Created?

These special areas were created for a very important reason: defense! They were usually located in places that were under threat. This could be from:

• Other European countries trying to take over land.
• Attacks from local groups who lived there before the Europeans arrived.

So, the main job of a Captaincy General was to protect the colony and keep it safe.

How Did They Work?

The leader of a Captaincy General was the Captain General. This person had a lot of power, especially military power, to defend the territory. They were responsible for the soldiers, forts, and overall safety of their region.

Special Powers and Independence

Over time, many Spanish Captaincies General became very powerful and almost like mini-viceroyalties themselves. This happened because they were often far away from the main viceroy's capital and even further from Spain. Because of this distance, the Captains General often had a direct link to the King of Spain and the Council of the Indies in Madrid. The Council of the Indies was a very important group in Spain that helped the king manage all the colonies.

This direct connection meant that Captaincies General had a lot of independence. They made many decisions about their area without always waiting for approval from the viceroy. They handled military matters, government, and even some money matters for their region. This made them very important parts of the Spanish colonial system.

See also

In Spanish: Capitanía general para niños

• Captain-major
• Captain general
• Captaincy
• Captaincies of the Spanish Empire
• Captaincies of the Portuguese Empire
  • Captaincies of Brazil