Spanish projects of American independence
A series of Spanish projects of American independence were proposed and considered to separate the overseas territories of the Spanish Empire in a peaceful manner. These ranged from the 16th century to the 19th century, including during the Spanish American wars of independence, and at some points drew substantial royal consideration, but were never implemented by a mix of circumstances.
History
The first project was considered in 1541 by Friar Toribio de Benavente, one of the main evangelizers of American history, who proposed King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V the possibility of turning New Spain into a separate kingdom and sitting the Prince of Spain in its throne.Reign of Charles III
In 1781, royal deputy Francisco de Saavedra was sent to New Spain to meet with Viceroy Martín de Mayorga and his circle. He observed the immense prosperity and potential of the viceroyalty, but also found a growing dissatisfaction with the existent imperial administration, focused especially in peninsulares being favored over criollos for royal jobs. He believed the independence of the United States was a dangerous example, especially given that while the Thirteen Colonies were just "factories or repositaries of business", the Spanish overseas territories were an "essential part of the nation separated from the other", linked by "sacred ties" which the Spanish metropolis had strengthen to by any means necessary. This caused that several projects to address the problems were presented to King Charles III, who seemes to have neither favored nor opposed suggestion of a controlled American independence.Ábalos
On September 24, 1781 José Abalos presented its proposal of a plan of independence. He started by criticizing the govern of continental Spain and warned about the desire for independence generalized in America. He saw fit to allow for the creation of nations in Hispanic America and to make Spain come out of a place of a mere receipter of tribute and buyer of European industry.He saw the need of creating four states, tied to the Kingdom of Spain but independent. According to Ábalos, independence was inevitable and could only be controlled. Its proposal reached the king by mediation of José de Gálvez, secretary of the Indies.
Count of Aranda
A 1783 memorial attributed to the Count of Aranda proposed also to separate the viceroyalties from Spain, turning them into independent states to counter especially the potential threat of the Thirteen Colonies and any other European colonial movement. The plan involved dividing Spain by enthroning four Spanish princes as kings of four kingdoms, these being Spain, México, Perú and Tierra Firme. The king of Spain would ascend to Emperor and nominally lead the four, who would maintain a dynastic union, a commercial community and "the closest offensive and defensive alliance", through which "they will not be forces in Europe which could counter their power in these lands".According to a line of research, however, the memorial was probably not written by Aranda, citing that the original has not survived beyond copies after 1825, that there is no mention to the plan in royal documents and that the content and style of the memorial do not fit Aranda. Historian Richard Konetzke suggested that the memorial was a posterior forgery by Manuel Godoy, Aranda's rival, to taint him with controversy, but this has been rejected on the basis that Godoy himself would propose similar plans of independence in 1804 and 1806 with no controversy whatsoever.
Aranda did write another memorial with ample documental evidence, sent to Floridablanca in 1786, with similar spirit about the future of the Spanish America, yet radically different in content. He proposed reach an agreement with the Portuguese Empire to annex the entire Iberian Peninsula to Spain in exchange for handing Peru and Chile to be merged with the resultant kingdom of Brazil, at the same time forming third Iberian kingdom around Buenos Aires with a Spanish prince in the throne.
The plan adhered to Charles III's intention to achieve some day the integration of Portugal and Spain by any peaceful means, although also counted on both resultant Spanish kingdoms to contain Brazil in case of war. Aranda admitted the plan was difficult and improbable and it would be hard to make the king of Portugal aquiesce, but he considered it the best option in a foreseeable future where Spain would lose control of American mainland.
Reign of Charles IV
Twice during the reign of Charles IV of Spain, minister Manuel Godoy proposed again the division of the empire in multiple kingdoms ruled by Spanish princes. In 1804 Godoy described it as:In 1806 he met with the king again for a new similar project, choosing among the royal family to make "perpetual and hereditary viceroys in its direct line, and in case of this dying out, return to the crown." Charles Iv also suggested to turn Chile in a fifth state aside from the potential New Spain, New Granada, Perú and La Plata.
Reign of Ferdinand VII
The Trienio Liberal of the reign of King Ferdinand VII, concurrent with the wars of independence, saw a new plan to end those on June 25, 1820. Lucas Alamán, back then a member of the Cortes of Cádiz, argued to install three sections of the Cortes in the American continent, being the first in New Spain, the second in New Granada and Costa Firme, and the third for Perú and La Plata. Executive power would still reside in a person delegated by the king, including members of the royal house. The proposal, however, was rejected.Shortly after, Francisco Antonio Zea presented a similar plan from the rebel side, a Plan de reconciliación y proyecto de Confederación Hispánica, which would merge back the rebel and loyalist territories into a global confederacy with its nominal capital in Madrid. This would entail a mutual defense agreement, a single market protected against foreign states and a federal diet. He urged Spain to accept while the conflict was still mendable and offered himself as a hostage to secure its process. On October 9, the project was sent to both Ferdinand VII and secretary of the government Evaristo Pérez Castro. However, Ferdinand was opposed to anything but a restauration of the old absolute throne, while the liberal government believed their new policies would solve the wars of independence their own way. Both were ultimately unsuccessful.
With the failure of both proposals and end of the Trienio Liberal shortly after, the wars of independence closed without a solution, bringing a permanent and politically traumatic separation between Spain and its former overseas territories.