Vagrants, idlers, and those poorly entertained in the Mayor's Office of Tegucigalpa in the 17th century

Abstract

This research paper aims to analyze the situation of certain groups or categories—such as vagrants, idlers, and the ill-behaved—in the alcaldía mayor of Tegucigalpa during the 17th century. The goal is to understand the behavior of these groups and the actions of colonial authorities, particularly how they used judicial discretion to punish, pursue, and penalize these offenses.

It is important to note that punishments for vagrancy differed between the 17th and 18th centuries, as the forms of repression in each period were quite distinct. This aspect is also part of our analysis: to examine the methods of punishment and how they evolved over time. Our study is based on documented cases of vagrancy found in the National Archive of Honduras.