Spanish Colonial Forced Labor & Caste Systems in the Americas

Encomienda

A Spanish colonial system where settlers were granted the right to force Native Americans to work on farms or in mines, in exchange for supposed protection and Christian teaching.

Hacienda

Large Spanish colonial estates or farms where Native Americans worked as laborers, often for low wages. Focused on agriculture and long-term economic production.

Mit'a

A labor system in the Andes (Inca origin) adopted by the Spanish, where Indigenous people were required to work for a certain period in mines or public projects.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The system of capturing, transporting, and selling enslaved Africans to the Americas, especially for plantations and mines.

Peninsulares

People of pure Spanish descent born in Spain. Held the highest social and political positions in the colonies.

Creoles (Criollos)

People of pure Spanish descent born in the Americas. Wealthy, but below peninsulares in status.

Mestizo

Person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. Middle social status.

Mulatto

Person of mixed European and African ancestry. Middle social status.

Zambo

Person of mixed African and Indigenous ancestry. Lower social status.

Indigenous (Native Americans)

Original inhabitants of the Americas. Subjected to forced labor and low social status.

African Slaves

People forcibly brought from Africa to the Americas. Lowest social status; worked in mines, plantations, and households.

Sans de couleur / Gens de couleur libres

Free people of color in French colonies, often of mixed African and European ancestry. They had some rights and property but were below whites in social status.

Age of Exploration

Period marked by European exploration and colonization, driven by motives of God, gold, and glory.

Technological innovations

Advancements such as caravel ships, compass, astrolabe, lateen sails, and cannon that facilitated exploration.

Colonization of the Americas

The establishment of European settlements and control over indigenous lands in the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

Global exchange of goods, plants, animals, and diseases resulting from the contact between the Americas and Europe.

Atlantic Trade Networks

Trade routes involving sugar, tobacco, and slaves between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Mercantilism

Economic theory where governments regulate trade to increase national wealth.

Joint-stock companies

Businesses owned by shareholders that enabled large-scale trade and exploration, such as the Dutch and British East India Companies.

Tokugawa Shogunate

Period in Japan characterized by political unification under shoguns and strict social hierarchy.

Mughal Empire

Indian empire known for its centralized administration and trade in textiles and spices.

Ottoman Empire

Empire that controlled Eastern Mediterranean trade and was tolerant of religious minorities.

Scientific Revolution

Period of significant advancements in scientific thought, featuring figures like Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement beginning in the late 1600s that emphasized reason and questioned authority.