Nueva Planta decrees facts for kids
The Nueva Planta decrees were a set of important laws signed by King Philip V between 1707 and 1716. Philip V was the first king from the House of Bourbon family to rule Spain. These decrees were made during and right after the War of the Spanish Succession.
These new laws changed Spain a lot. They ended the separate governments of the Crown of Aragon. This included regions like Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and Majorca. Before, these regions had their own special rules. The decrees brought them under the laws of the Crown of Castile. This made Spain a more unified country, similar to how France was run at the time.
Why did King Philip V make these laws?
King Philip V was upset with the regions of the Crown of Aragon. During the war, they had supported his enemy, Charles of Austria. Philip V wanted Spain to be a strong, central country, just like his home country of France.
So, he decided to remove the special laws and privileges (called fueros or furs) from these areas. This included Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and Majorca. He declared that these regions would now follow the laws of Castile. He believed Castile's laws were "the most praiseworthy in all the Universe." This made Spain much more centralized, with one main set of rules for almost everyone.
Other parts of Spain, like Navarre and the Basque territories, had supported Philip V. They were able to keep some of their own special rules.
The decrees were put into action at different times. Valencia and Aragon saw these changes in 1707. Majorca and the other Balearic Islands followed in 1715. Catalonia was the last, with its decrees coming in 1716.
How did the decrees change Spain?
The Nueva Planta decrees made Spain a single, unified country. They removed most legal differences between people from Castile and those from Aragon. This also meant that most internal borders and taxes between regions disappeared.
A big change was that all citizens of Spain could now trade with the American and Asian colonies. Before, only people from the Crown of Castile could do this.
Top government officials were now chosen directly by the king in Madrid. Many local government bodies in the former Crown of Aragon were removed. Also, court cases had to be presented and argued only in Castilian (Spanish). This made Castilian the main language for government and courts. It replaced Latin, Catalan, and other languages of Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Decretos de Nueva Planta para niños
- Perfect Fusion
- Acts of Union 1707 between Scotland and England, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain
- Bourbon Reforms of Philip V and his successors
- Catalan Constitutions
- Furs of Valencia
