Present State of the Spanish Colonies

William Walton (?1783-1857) was British agent at Santo Domingo (Haiti), one of the two states on the island of Hispaniola, over which the British had briefly fought with the French before it proclaimed its independence in 1804. Returning to England in 1809 he began to write on Spanish and South American affairs. This work was published in two volumes in 1810. Volume 2 examines the Spanish settlements on the American mainland, in California, Texas, Mexico and particularly in South America. Walton first considers the administration of these colonies. He discusses the origins of the native peoples, and the impact on them of colonization; having studied their culture, he believed that in some respects they were more advanced than Europeans. He then discusses the Spanish and Creole inhabitants of South America, and its climate and resources. Walton's object was to encourage the growth of trade between Britain and the region.