Manuscrito No. 067

Fecha: 1509, mayo 3. Valladolid, España
Tema: Prohibición ordenada por la Corona de España contra la entrada en las Indias de extranjeros y descendientes de los “quemados”. Esta prohibición probablemente implicaba también la preocupación expresada en comunicaciones anteriores sobre la posible presencia de esclavos negros no-cristianos
Fuente: PARES, Portal de Archivos Españoles, Archivo General de Indias, INDIFERENTE,418,L.2 –35-Imagen Núm.: 25/369

In this communication sent by the Crown of Spain to colonial governor of La Española Nicolás de Ovando we find the monarchs reiterating in May of 1509 the order that no foreigners (non-Spaniards) should be allowed in La Española except if they have explicit license from the Crown. The reiteration seems to have been triggered by the information sent by the governor himself to the Crown regarding a Genoese entrepreneur present in La Española and engaging in the hoarding of bread, a practice that the king considers deserving of punishment.

In his order the king also insists with the governor in reminding him not to allow “any children of the Reconciled ones nor grandchildren of the burnt ones” apparently implying that some may have been present in La Española at the time (despite prior prohibitions) and that the orders should be applied to these as well as those who may try to enter the colony in the future.

This repetition of both orders regarding the restriction of access to foreigners and non-Christians is an indication that there were at least some violations of the rules on this matter taking place in La Española at the time and it leaves space to imagine the possibility that some of those non-Christians reaching the island may have included non-Christianized black Africans.