1.5 Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System

What does the term conquistadores explicitly mean?

Adventurous explorers and conquerors

Give some explicit EXAMPLES of conquistadors

1. Hernan Cortes: conquested the Aztecs in Mexico

2. Francisco Pizzaro: Conquest of Incas

3. Ferdinand Magellan’s ships circumnavigated the world

4. All of these conquistadores brought wealth back t o Spain, making spain the richest country in Europe during that time—- many other EUropean countries were inspired by Spain’s success and followed suit

Explain the Encomienda system established by the new monarchs of Spain (Isabella and Ferdinand)

1. The spanish conquered plenty of native lands as seen with the conquest of the Incas and Aztecs. The Spanish made the natives part of their empire, and to monitor them, they used the encomienda system. This system was where the Spanish king gave individual spaniards natives who lived on a specific tract of land. These natives were forced into labor, producing fruit which were given to the Spanish. In turn, the spaniards would have to take care of the natives. They did NOT do that

Why did europeans starts to enslave africans instead?

The natives/indians were perishing rapidly as they were not immune to the new diseases being spread from the Europeans to them. Therefore, Africans were more immune, so they died less rapidly, making work more efficient and profitable.

What are some key terms/events that occurred from Europeans starting to use Africans as slaves?

1. Asiento System: A colonist would have to pay a tax to the king on each enslaved person they brought to america. King as in Spanish king

2. Slave Trade: The movement and trade of slaves from the old world to the new world to do labor

3. Middle Passage: The area part of the slave trade voyage across the atlantic ocean—- 10-15 percent of Africans perished through traveling this route

Explain the spanish caste system

1. Peninsulares (pure bloode spaniards)

2. Creoles (born in New Spain or SPanish parents)

3. Mestizos (born of spanish and native american indian parents)

   ***2 and 3 are several leels of people ordered according to their mixture of european, native american, and african heritage

4. Native American Indians

5. Enslaved personas (brought from Africa and Caribbean)

***four and five are people of pure indian or black heritage***

From this lesson, you should’ve learned the answer to the following questions, so please think about them:

1. How was the society of north america affected by the expansion of the spanish empire?

2. How was the economy of north america affected by the expansion of the spanish empire?