ABSTRACT
The Spanish Empire associated its administrative power in the Marianas on the island of Guam because practically all of its representatives resided there. The rest of the archipelago remained marginalized from the Spanish colonial network due to depopulation and a chronic lack of resources. However, the situation changed in the nineteenth century as other imperial powers expressed interest in the Marianas. Spanish officials, unable to directly colonize these islands due to their limited resources, resorted to leasing contracts to non-Spanish foreigners to defend their sovereignty. In addition, Spanish officials encouraged the settlement of the northern islands of the Mariana chain with inhabitants from the Caroline Islands.
