The regular and secular clergy had early come into conflict, particularly over the tithes and the control of the Indians. The conflict reached a crisis and merged into one between church and State during the viceregal administration of the Marques de Gelves, 1621-24. This energetic reformer favoured the appoint ment of regulars to deal with the natives, and in so doing came into conflict with Archbishop Serna of Mexico, who placed the city under an interdict, excommunicated the viceroy, and con strained him to hide from a mob.
During the reign of Viceroy Albuquerque (1702-11), which coincided with the war of the Spanish Succession, his chief con cern was the defence of the coasts from British attacks and the fighting of pirates. By the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) England secured commercial privileges which proved in practice to be an entering wedge for much illicit commerce. Friction that resulted therefrom finally culminated in a commercial war which soon merged into the war of Austrian Succession. During the latter war the raids of Admiral Anson in the Pacific struck a hard blow at the commerce between New Spain and the Philippines. Spain entered the Seven Years' War in 1761, only to lose Havana and Manila to the British. Florida was given to England in exchange for them at the close of the war. During the war of the American Revolution, Spain declared war against England (1779) but de clined to make an alliance with the American Colonies. Of con siderable aid to the colonists as early as 1776 was the anti English policy pursued by Don Bernardo Galvez, Spanish gov ernor at New Orleans After Spain entered the war he directed offensive operations against the British in the territory north of the Ohio river and personally waged successful campaigns against the British in West and East Florida, thereby obtaining them for Spain at the close of the war.
Viceroy Casafuerte's reign (1722-34) was made notable by the publication of the Gaceta de Mexico—published intermittently at first—and the Mercurio de Mexico. A formidable negro rebel lion in Veracruz and a terrible epidemic among the natives were notable events of 1735 and 1736. Viceroy Ahumada (1755-63) is noted for his many administrative reforms. A few years later, a special royal visitor, clothed with supreme power, Jose de Galvez, instituted many important administrative, economic, com mercial and fiscal reforms. Not the least result of these was an increase from $6,000,000 to $20,000,000 in the annual royal reve nues from New Spain—an accomplishment that was effected with out increasing taxes. It was at Galvez's suggestion that the Co
mandancia General de las Provincias Interns and the system of intendancies were established. One of the notable events of the later 18th century was the expulsion of the Jesuits from New Spain, as from all of the Spanish Dominions, in 1767, under orders of Charles III.—these being carried out in New Spain by Galvez on the night of June 26. The Jesuits were arrested en masse, their property, which some authorities have estimated as high as 10,000,000 pesos, was sequestrated, and they were expelled, their place in the north-west being taken by the Franciscans. The second Count of Revilla Gigedo (1789-94), of all the viceroys of that century, ranks as the greatest reformer, statesman and pro moter of industry and commerce.
The greatest impetus to the independentist movement came when Napoleon deposed the rightful king of Spain in 1808 and placed his own brother Joseph upon the throne. At once a small, politically ambitious minority in New Spain, acting on the theory that with the deposition of Ferdinand VII. sovereignty had re verted to the people, demanded a share in the government of the viceroyalty. For selfish reasons the viceroy, Iturrigaray, lent a willing ear to these suggestions and proposed the convocation of a national congress. Thoroughly alarmed at such suggestions and fearful that they would lose to the creoles some of their privileges through severance from Spain, the gachupines deposed Iturrigaray and took over the Government. Thus intrenched in power they easily suppressed an abortive separatist movement initiated by the creoles in Michoacan in 1809. When the viceroy, Venegas, arrived in Sept. 181o, the hold of privileged autocracy on New Spain never appeared stronger.