Viceroyalty of Peru

A viceroy is a person who rules an area with the same power as a king or queen. The Viceroyalty of Peru was a kind of government in South America during the 1500s and 1600s. The King or Queen of Spain appointed a viceroy to rule Peru, which was made up of parts of modern-day Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The viceroy was in charge of the entire region and made important decisions about things like taxes, laws, and trade. While many people did not like being ruled this way, the viceroy's job was to make sure the King and Queen of Spain stayed in power in the region.