ABSTRACT
The ascendance of the Bourbons to the Spanishthrone-a primary outcome of the War of theSpanish Succession (1700-1713)—meant that the eighteenth century in America would be a century of reform. The Bourbons were modern, enlightened Frenchmen; they had new ideas about running an overseas empire that created, over a long period of time, significant change in the colonies. Collectively, the changes are referred to as the Bourbon Reforms.
