New Spain

American  

noun

1. the former Spanish possessions in the Western Hemisphere, at one time including South America (except Brazil), Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, Florida, and most of the land in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River.

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New Spain British  

noun

1. a Spanish viceroyalty of the 16th to 19th centuries, composed of Mexico, Central America north of Panama, the Spanish West Indies, the southwestern US, and the Philippines

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Example Sentences

In 1538 Fray Marcos de Niza set out from Mexico City, the capital of New Spain, to investigate rumors that the Seven Cities lay somewhere in El Norte Misterioso, the Mysterious North.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

It was a significant victory at a time when an estimated 130,000 Africans were brought to New Spain, resulting in one of the highest African slave populations in the 17th century Americas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

For 300 years, New Spain remained the glittering jewel in the Spanish crown, enriching the mother country and shaping world history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

The manuscript details plans for his journey across what would become New Spain.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

Among the first to grapple directly with this question was the Jesuit educator Jose de Acosta, who spent a quarter century in New Spain.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann