Abstract

MACHUCA GALLEGOS, Laura. The decline of the encomienda in Yucatan, 1770-1821. Estud. hist. novohisp [online]. 2016, n.54, pp.31-49. ISSN 2448-6922.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehn.2015.02.001.

The encomienda in Yucatan survived almost until 1821. Since the 17th century the institution fell into a critical state due to the decrease of its associated rents, yet it continued to be sought after by the elites as one of the few recognizable signs of "nobility" in this peripheral zone of Spanish America. Literature about the role of the encomienda during its last years (from 1770) is scarce. This article attempts to fill the gap by an emphasis on the careers of different encomenderos and the arguments put forward by them to continue enjoying their status during this late period.

Keywords : Encomienda; Encomenderos; Elites; Yucatan; XVIII and XIX centuries.