Origin and development of the city of La Paz, Baja California, through the Police and Good Government edicts of 1833, 1871 and 1894

Abstract

This paper examines the origins and historical development of the city of La Paz, Baja California, through the edicts of Police and Good Government issued in 1833, 1871, and 1894. Building on Samudio’s interpretation (2009), this study regards edicts of good governance as juridical mechanisms that structure urban space in its public and private dimensions, revealing the underlying power relations between the local elite and various social constituencies. Although bands were present in Hispanic America as early as the 16th century, their institutional use by viceregal and municipal authorities saw a marked expansion during the second half of the 18th century. During this same period, the concept of police —as articulated by Hernández (2005, pp. 12-18)— moved beyond its traditional association with administrative practices and governmental regulations aimed at managing urban life and social order. It began to reflect the influence of Enlightenment thought, which introduced into the urban discourse ideals such as comfort, functionality, utility, order, safety and cleanliness, all envisioned as essential conditions for the city’s proper development.