One of the principal goals of the Bourbon reforms was the development of unexploited spaces in Spanish America. Due to the insufficiency of metropolitan settlers in the islands of Trinidad and Puerto Rico, after 1776 the Bourbons authorized foreign colonists from friendly Catholic nations to settle in both colonies. This paper traces the experiences of one Spanish immigrant, Joseph Martín de Fuentes, and his futile year-long attempt to compel Jayme O’Daly, the Irish Director of Agriculture, to adhere to imperial guidelines. In doing so, it addresses several themes of interest to scholars of the Bourbon reforms, such as immigration, economic development, government corruption, and the rise of colonial elites.
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