Casa de Contratación

The Casa de Contratación was a Spanish colonial government agency established in 1503 in Seville, Spain. Its primary role was to regulate and oversee all activities related to the Spanish Empire’s overseas territories, especially in the Americas and Africa. This included controlling maritime navigation, managing trade routes, issuing licenses for explorers and merchants, and collecting taxes. It served as the central authority for ensuring Spain’s economic and security interests in its colonies, facilitating exploration, and managing the flow of goods, people, and information between Spain and its colonies until it was dissolved in the early 18th century.