The () was a unit of land measurement in the Spanish viceroyalties in the Americas during the times of the Spanish Empire in the 16th through 19th centuries Spanish West Indies. The unit was widely used in Puerto Rico, where it was equivalent to . The unit, however, came from Spain, where it had already been in use.

History

A decree of King Ferdinand V on 18 June 1513 is the first known law granting land in

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

to Europeans. The decree dictated that conquered lands could be granted to Spanish soldier in two units: caballerías and peonias. The decree extended to the New World a system Castile had already been using for areas it conquered in Europe. While a "peonia" was the amount of land granted a retiring foot soldier, a was the amount granted to a retiring cavalryman. The unit was over four times larger than a peonia. Land grants measuring one or more were issued to the members of the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

of a Spanish war

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

upon resulting victorious over a territory during a war conquest expedition, with the condition that once the soldier had decided to make his residence at such location, they committed themselves to the defense of the town where they were to reside.

Demise

As open land became less available for granting by the

Spanish Crown , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

, and as portions of caballerías were segregated by their owners in sales transactions into smaller land units too small to be measured in caballerías and, thus, measured in the more convenient cuerda units, the use of caballería units started to become obsolete.Eli Oquendo Rodriguez. ''Los Barrios de Ponce: Noticias y Microhistorias de Ocho Comunidades Ponceñas en el Tiempo: Siglos XVI al XIX.''. Lajas, Puerto Rico: Editorial Akelarre. 2019. pp. 183-184.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Manufacturas en Michoacán.''

''Feijoo Osorio, Carlos: Antiguas unidades de superficie.''

History

Demise

References

External links

Further reading