Captaincy General (from the Spanish Capitanía General) is a division of a viceroyalty in colonial Spanish-America and the Spanish-Philippines, established in areas under risk of foreign invasion or Indian attack. The Captaincy General is governed by a Capitan General (Captain General) who is basically a military officer with plenipotentiary civilian powers and authority.

Although under the nominal jurisdiction of their Viceroys, Captains General were practically independent, because of their special military functions and the considerable distance of their districts from the viceroyal capital, having a direct relationship with the King and the Council of the Indies, in Madrid.

Captaincies General

• Puerto Rico (1509)
• Santo Domingo (1540)
• Chile (1541), due the War of Arauco.
• Guatemala (1560)
• Yucatan (1564), which included, besides Yucatan proper, Campeche and Quintana Roo. It became an Intendencia in 1786.
• Philippines (1565)
• New Granada (1563), which became a viceroyalty in 1717.
• Cuba (1764), which included the Louisiana Territory acquired from France in 1763
• Venezuela (1777)

Portuguese system

The Portuguese also used this system in their colonies. In Brazil, the recipient of a captaincy was called a donatário.

Capitanía General

Titles | Spanish colonization of the Americas