Abstract EN:

In 1763, when Spain was no longer capable of defending La Havana by itself, but anxious to develop the colonial economy, the government negotiated a political and economic reform with the local elites. While these elites have been encouraged to participate and contribute financially to defending the city, they were favoured in return by improved conditions for producing sugar cane. At the same time the Spanish monarchy tried to bind about thirty families by creating a contest for being honoured with nobiliaries titles. So, these planters families were turned into formidable allies of the Crown, in the course of struggle for independence and during the liberal eras. Nonetheless elites' political relevance did oblige the Crown to make compromises. Although continuously weakened by the consequences of their aristocratic enclosure (consanguines marriages and competition by the tradesmen elite) this system was stable enough to resist all fundamental political changes until at least 1838.