Ministry of Overseas (Spain)

The Ministry of Overseas, Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Territories (Spanish Ministerio de Ultramar), or simply, Ultramar, was the ministerial department in charge of the direction of Spanish territories between 1863 and 1899. It administered the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo and the Carolinas, Marianas and Palaos.

Ministry of Overseas
Ministerio de Ultramar

Main headquarters from 1885 to 1889
Agency overview
Formed1812 (first time)
1863 (second time)
Preceding agency
  • Directorate-General for Overseas Governance
Dissolved1814 (first time)
1898 (second time)
TypeMinistry
JurisdictionGovernment of Spain
HeadquartersSanta Cruz Palace (Madrid)

Prior to its establishment, the administration of the colonies was in charge of the Ministry of the Navy. By a royal decree of 20 May 1863 responsibility for the colonies was transferred to a new department. Following Spanish–American War of 1898, in which Spain lost the greater part of her colonial territory (Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines), and the sale of her remaining Pacific possessions to Germany by the treaty of 12 February 1899, the Overseas Ministry itself was suppressed in a royal decree of 20 April 1899.

The creation of a Spanish protectorate in Morocco in 1912, and the establishment of Spanish control over its Guinean possessions, a new colonial department, the Direccion General de Marruecos y Colonias (Directorate-General for Morocco and the Colonies), was set up in 1925. After recognizing the independence of Morocco in 1956, its name was changed to Direccion General de Plazas y Provincias Africanas (Directorate-General for African Territories and Provinces). In 1969, following the independence of Equatorial Guinea, its remit was once again reduced and it became the Direccion General de Promoción del Sahara (Directorate-General for Sahara Promotion), charged with the advancement of Spanish Sahara until 1975.

List of ministers

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Period Beginning End Name Government
Reign of
Isabella II
(1833–1868)
21 May 1863 18 July 1863 José Gutiérrez de la Concha Manuel Pando Fernández de Pinedo
18 July 1863 1 August 1863 Manuel Moreno López
1 August 1863 6 August 1863 José Gutiérrez de la Concha
6 August 1863 29 November 1863 Francisco Permanyer Tuyets
29 November 1863 17 January 1864 José Gutiérrez de la Concha
17 January 1864 1 March 1864 Alejandro de Castro Casal Lorenzo Arrazola
1 March 1864 16 September 1864 Diego López Ballesteros Alejandro Mon y Menéndez
16 September 1864 21 June 1865 Manuel Seijas Lozano Ramón María Narváez
21 June 1865 10 July 1866 Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Leopoldo O'Donnell
10 July 1866 27 October 1867 Alejandro de Castro Casal Ramón María Narváez
27 October 1867 23 April 1868 Carlos Marfori y Callejas
23 April 1868 15 June 1868 Carlos Marfori y Callejas Luis González Bravo
15 June 1868 19 September 1868 Tomás Rodríguez Rubí
Junta Revolucionaria Interina
(1868–1871)
8 October 1868 18 June 1869 Adelardo López de Ayala Pascual Madoz Ibáñez
Joaquín Aguirre de la Peña
Francisco Serrano
18 June 1869 6 August 1869 Juan Bautista Topete Juan Prim
6 August 1869 2 April 1870 Manuel Becerra y Bermúdez
2 April 1870 27 December 1870 Segismundo Moret y Prendergast
27 December 1870 4 January 1871 Adelardo López de Ayala Juan Bautista Topete
Reign of
Amadeo I
(1871–1873)
4 January 1871 24 July 1871 Adelardo López de Ayala Francisco Serrano
24 July 1871 5 October 1871 Tomás Mosquera Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla
5 October 1871 21 December 1871 Víctor Balaguer José Malcampo
21 December 1871 20 January 1872 Juan Bautista Topete Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
20 January 1872 26 May 1872 Cristóbal Martín de Herrera
26 May 1872 13 June 1872 Adelardo López de Ayala Francisco Serrano
13 June 1872 21 December 1872 Eduardo Gasset y Artime Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla
21 December 1872 12 February 1873 Tomás Mosquera
First Spanish Republic
(1873–1874)
12 February 1873 24 February 1873 Nicolás Salmerón Estanislao Figueras
24 February 1873 11 June 1873 José Cristóbal Sorní y Grau
11 June 1873 13 June 1873 José Cristóbal Sorní y Grau Francisco Pi i Margall
13 June 1873 19 July 1873 Francisco Suñer
19 July 1873 4 September 1873 Eduardo Palanca Asensi Nicolás Salmerón
4 September 1873 3 January 1874 Santiago Soler y Pla Emilio Castelar
3 January 1874 13 May 1874 Tomás Mosquera Francisco Serrano
Juan Zavala de la Puente
13 May 1874 3 September 1874 Antonio Romero Ortiz Juan Zavala de la Puente
3 September 1874 31 December 1874 Antonio Romero Ortiz Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Reign of
Alfonso XII
(1874–1885)
31 December 1874 13 February 1875 Adelardo López de Ayala Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
13 February 1875 2 December 1875 Adelardo López de Ayala
2 December 1879 15 January 1877 Adelardo López de Ayala
15 January 1877 8 March 1879 Cristóbal Martín de Herrera
8 March 1879 9 December 1879 Salvador Albacete Arsenio Martínez-Campos
9 December 1879 23 March 1880 José Elduayen Gorriti Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
23 March 1880 8 February 1881 Cayetano Sánchez Bustillo
8 February 1881 9 October 1883 Fernando León y Castillo Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
9 October 1883 13 October 1883 Gaspar Núñez de Arce
13 October 1883 18 January 1884 Estanislao Suárez Inclán José Posada Herrera
18 January 1884 27 November 1885 Manuel Aguirre de Tejada Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
Regency of
Maria Christina of Austria
(1885–1902)
27 November 1885 10 October 1886 Germán Gamazo Calvo Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
12 November 1887 14 June 1888 Víctor Balaguer
14 June 1888 11 December 1888 Trinitario Ruiz Capdepón
11 December 1888 21 January 1890 Manuel Becerra y Bermúdez
21 January 1890 5 July 1890 Manuel Becerra y Bermúdez
5 July 1890 23 November 1891 Antonio María Fabié Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
23 November 1891 11 December 1892 Francisco Romero Robledo
11 December 1892 12 March 1894 Antonio Maura Montaner Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
12 March 1894 4 November 1894 Manuel Becerra y Bermúdez
4 November 1894 23 March 1895 Buenaventura Abarzuza Ferrer
23 March 1895 8 August 1897 Tomás Castellano y Villarroya Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
8 August 1897 4 October 1897 Tomás Castellano y Villarroya Marcelo Azcárraga
4 October 1897 18 May 1898 Segismundo Moret y Prendergast Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
18 May 1898 7 March 1899 Vicente Romero Girón
7 March 1899 20 April 1899 Raimundo Fernández Villaverde Francisco Silvela

References

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  • Cordero Torres, José María (1951). "Problemas de la "Administración a distancia". La organización metropolitana de las dependencias". Revista de Administración Pública (5).