Unit 1: Part III First Contact - Spanish Empire and Colonial Systems Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering social structures, labor systems, conflicts, and cultural interactions during the growth of the Spanish Empire in North America.

Peninsulares

Spaniards born in Spain living in the Spanish Empire.

Criollos

Spaniards born in the Americas.

Mestizos

Descendants of a Spaniard and a Native American.

Mulatoes

Descendants of a Spaniard and an African slave.

Indios

Descendants of two Native American parents.

Negros

Descendants of two African parents or a slave taken from Africa.

Encomienda System

A colonial labor system granted to an encomendero by the Spanish crown where Native American labor was used for plantations and extracting precious metals in exchange for protection, religious instruction, and conversion to Christianity.

Las Castas (Spanish Caste System)

A 16-level hierarchical system in Spanish America that carefully defined the social status of Europeans, Natives, and Africans.

The Mission System

A network of religious centers, local Indian conversion sites, and fortifications in Spanish America, typically established 'one day's ride' apart.

Fr. Junípero Serra

A member of the Franciscan Order who helped found the mission system in California.

Don Juan de Oñate

The Spanish leader who led the Battle of Acoma and cruel abuse against Pueblo peoples.

Battle of Acoma (1599)

A victory by Spaniards led by Don Juan de Oñate against the Pueblo peoples, resulting in the severing of one foot of each surviving Indian.

Pope's Rebellion (Pueblo Revolt) (1680)

A native rebellion sparked by harsh Spanish treatment in which Native Americans destroyed Spanish government and Catholic elements in New Mexico.

New Laws of 1542

Legislation influenced by the de las Casas vs de Sepúlveda debates that aimed to prevent hereditary encomiendas and marked a key turning point in West African slavery.

Hacienda System

The system that largely replaced the encomienda system in Spanish colonies.

Black Legend

A concept referenced regarding historical critiques and the portrayal of Spanish colonial treatment of indigenous populations.

Triangular Trade

A transatlantic trade route moving slaves to the Americas; sugar, tobacco, and cotton to Europe; and textiles, rum, weapons, and manufactured goods to Africa.

Syncretism

The blending of different cultural or religious practices, seen in maroon communities and syncretic religions such as Gullah, voodoo, and Santería.