The last will of Maria Vivas y Borja: The case of a noble woman from Cali, and the final provisions on her dowery

Abstract

The present work tries to expose the way in which María Vivas y Borja, a woman who lived in the city of Santiago de Cali during the second half of the 18th century, disposed of her material goods at the time of her death. Making references to Hispanic law, she collected old conjugal debts, claiming her husband of the abandonment to which he had subjected her, and the dissipation of his goods given as a dowry. This case serves to exemplify how women during the colonial period resorted to various strategies available showing their ability to act against a system that subjected them to their male relatives.