Purchasing Whiteness : Pardos, Mulattos, and the Quest for Social Mobility in the Spanish Indies

The colonization of Spanish America resulted in the mixing of Natives, Europeans, and Africans and the subsequent creation of a __casta__ system that discriminated against them. Members of mixed races could, however, free themselves from such burdensome restrictions through the purchase of a __gracias al sacar__—a royal exemption that provided the privileges of Whiteness. For more than a century, the whitening __gracias al sacar__ has fascinated historians. Even while the documents remained elusive, scholars continually mentioned the potential to acquire Whiteness as a provocative marker of the historic differences between Anglo and Latin American treatments of race. __Purchasing Whiteness__ explores the fascinating details of 40 cases of whitening petitions, tracking thousands of pages of ensuing conversations as petitioners, royal officials, and local elites disputed not only whether the state should grant full whiteness to deserving individuals, but whether selective prejudices against the __castas__ should cease.__Purchasing Whiteness__ contextualizes the history of the __gracias al sacar__ within the broader framework of three centuries of mixed race efforts to end discrimination. It identifies those historic variables that structured the potential for mobility as Africans moved from slavery to freedom, mixed with Natives and Whites, and transformed later generations into vassals worthy of royal favor. By examining this history of __pardo__ and __mulatto__ mobility, the author provides striking insight into those uniquely characteristic and deeply embedded pathways through which the Hispanic world negotiated processes of inclusion and exclusion. "The colonization of Spanish America resulted in the mixing of Natives, Europeans, and Africans and the subsequent creation of a casta system that discriminated against them. Members of mixed races could, however, free themselves from such burdensome restrictions through the purchase of a gracias al sacar--a royal exemption that provided the privileges of Whiteness. For more than a century, the whitening gracias al sacar has fascinated historians. Even while the documents remained elusive, scholars continually mentioned the potential to acquire Whiteness as a provocative marker of the historic differences between Anglo and Latin American treatments of race. Purchasing Whiteness explores the fascinating details of 40 cases of whitening petitions, tracking thousands of pages of ensuing conversations as petitioners, royal officials, and local elites disputed not only whether the state should grant full whiteness to deserving individuals, but whether selective prejudices against the castas should cease. Purchasing Whiteness contextualizes the history of the gracias al sacar within the broader framework of three centuries of mixed race efforts to end discrimination. It identifies those historic variables that structured the potential for mobility as Africans moved from slavery to freedom, mixed with Natives and Whites, and transformed later generations into vassals worthy of royal favor. By examining this history of pardo and mulatto mobility, the author provides striking insight into those uniquely characteristic and deeply embedded pathways through which the Hispanic world negotiated processes of inclusion and exclusion."--Publisher's description The colonization of Spanish America resulted in the mixing of Natives, Europeans, and Africans and the subsequent creation of a casta system that discriminated against them. Members of mixed races could, however, free themselves from such burdensome restrictions through the purchase of a gracias al sacar a royal exemption that provided the privileges of Whiteness. For more than a century, the whitening gracias al sacar has fascinated historians. Even while the documents remained elusive, scholars continually mentioned the potential to acquire Whiteness as a provocative marker of the historic differences between Anglo and Latin American treatments of race. Purchasing Whiteness explores the fascinating details of 40 cases of whitening petitions, tracking thousands of pages of ensuing conversations as petitioners, royal officials, and local elites disputed not only whether the state should grant full whiteness to deserving individuals, but whether selective prejudices against the castas should cease. Purchasing Whiteness contextualizes the history of the gracias al sacar within the broader framework of three centuries of mixed race efforts to end discrimination. It identifies those historic variables that structured the potential for mobility as Africans moved from slavery to freedom, mixed with Natives and Whites, and transformed later generations into vassals worthy of royal favor. By examining this history of pardo and mulatto mobility, the author provides striking insight into those uniquely characteristic and deeply embedded pathways through which the Hispanic world negotiated processes of inclusion and exclusion. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Preface......Page 16 Part One. Introductions......Page 20 Chapter 1. Conclusions: A Century of Historiography......Page 22 Chapter 2. Introductions: Alternative Approaches......Page 54 Part Two. Long Time......Page 98 Chapter 3. Interstices: Seeking Spaces for Mobility......Page 100 Chapter 4. Connections: Genealogical Mathematics......Page 143 Part Three. Whitening: Precursor Cases......Page 168 Chapter 5. Benchmarks: Commoditizing Whiteness, Cuba and Panama......Page 170 Chapter 6. Balances: Weighing the Prices of Full Whiteness......Page 196 Chapter 7. Exceptions: The Venezuelan Cluster......Page 217 Part Four. The Whitening Gracias Al Sacar: 1795-1814......Page 254 Chapter 8. Opportunities: Whitening, the First Year, 1795‒1796......Page 256 Chapter 9. Dissentions and Discords: 1796–1803......Page 288 Chapter 10. Denouements: 1803‒1806......Page 316 Chapter 11. Recalibrations: The 1806 “Mystery” Consulta; the 1808 Viaña Consulta; and the Cortes, 1806‒1810......Page 342 Chapter 12. Evolutions: Vassals to Citizens?......Page 371 Part Five. Conclusions......Page 408 Chapter 13. Retrospectives: Tidbits, Chunks, and Conclusions......Page 410 Appendix A: Archival/Printed References to Whitening Cases......Page 444 Appendix B: Dates of Service, Vacancies, and Experience of Fiscals for Peru and New Spain (Mexico)......Page 448 Notes......Page 450 Bibliography......Page 508 Index......Page 540