Limits of State Power and Resistance to Authority Notes

Distance from Europe

1. Colonial governments were far from Spain, Portugal, France, or Britain, so enforcing laws across the Atlantic was slow and inconsistent.
2. Storms, piracy, and seasonal trade winds delayed ships, creating long gaps in communication. Many colonial officials acted autonomously for months or even years without direct royal oversight.

Weak communication

1. Messages could take months to travel, giving local governors and viceroys more independence than monarchs intended.
2. By the time royal decrees arrived, local conditions had often changed, forcing colonial leaders to interpret or adapt policies. This encouraged regional variations in governance across empires.

Corruption and abuse

1. Local officials often bent or ignored royal laws for personal gain, making the Crown’s authority weaker on the ground.
2. Bribery and nepotism were widespread, especially in Spanish America, where positions were often sold to raise revenue. Corruption contributed to resentment among Indigenous and Creole populations.

Smuggling and illegal trade

1. Colonists often smuggled goods to avoid taxes and strict trade laws, undermining mercantilist systems.
2. British colonies traded illegally with the Dutch and French Caribbean, while Spanish Creoles traded silver for British textiles. These networks challenged imperial monopolies and fostered early ideas of economic independence.

Indigenous resistance

1. Native peoples resisted colonial authority through uprisings (e.g., Pueblo Revolt of 1680) and by forming shifting alliances with rival European powers.
2. In Spanish America, Indigenous revolts like Túpac Amaru II’s rebellion (1780–1783) combined anti-colonial and anti-slavery goals, influencing later independence movements.

Slave resistance

1. Enslaved Africans resisted through rebellions (e.g., Stono Rebellion, 1739), escapes, or creating maroon communities in remote areas.
2. Maroon communities in places like Jamaica, Brazil, and Suriname became semi-independent societies, often signing treaties with colonial governments to secure freedom in exchange for peace.