Administrative Councils in Spanish America

This map traces juntas de gobierno (1808–10) formed across Spanish America after Napoleon forced Ferdinand VII into exile. Installed in viceroyalties and captaincies, they pledged loyalty to the absent king while asserting local rule. In Caracas, Bogotá, and Buenos Aires, juntas became revolutionary platforms leading toward independence. By contrast, Lima and Mexico upheld royal authority, highlighting the divided responses that reshaped colonial power.