ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the chronology of the Spanish overseas empire in the Pacific. It focuses on the role played by the Micronesian colonies—specifically, the Mariana and Caroline Islands—which transformed their role in the Spanish colonial network following the independence of the colonial holdings in the nineteenth century. In particular, the Spanish colonies in Micronesia went from a conceptualization of playing a small role in the early modern hegemonic system of the Spanish-controlled Americas to a more active role as a defensive wall to ward off other colonial powers from the Philippines during the Age of High Imperialism.
