16th century: frontier, slavery, social control

Cabalgadas, Razzias

Incursions, raids. Armed raids across the frontier between Christian Andalusia and Muslim territories, often to seize goods and captives.

Costa Berbería

Barbary Coast, The north African coast (Modern Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia) a source of raids and a destination/ origin for trade and slaves.

Moriscos

Muslims who were forcibly converted to Christianity after the Reconquista. They faced suspicion, cultural Repression, and eventual expulsion in 1609.

Subsaharianos

Sub-saharan Africans. Individuals from Africa south of the Sahara desert who constituted a significant portion of the enslaved population in early modern Andalusia.

Esclavitud en Andalucía

A widespread institution where enslaved people (from North Africa, Sub-saharan Africa, Balkans) worked in domestic, artisinal, and urban small scale manufacturing.

Se hallen

Are found, are located. A formal verb often used in documents (e.g. “se hallan en esta ciudad” they are found in this city)

Esparteros

Rope-makers, basket-weavers. Artisans working with esparto grass, a common and humble trade.

Las naves

The ships. Refers to the vessels used in transatlantic trade and the slave trade, centered in Seville and Cádiz

Manumisión

Manumission. The legal act of freeing an enslaved person, often granted in a master’s will or purchased by the enslaved.

Mandas testamentarias

Testamentary bequests. Provisions in a last will and testament, a common source for docjmenting manumissions and charitable acts.

Fallecer

To die, to pass away. The formal verb for dying, common in historical documents.

Vida cotidiana

Daily life, everyday life. The routine, practices, and material conditions of ordinary people.

Alojarse

To lodge, to find accommodation. A concern for travelers, migrants, and authorities monitoring movement.

Cofradías de negros de Málaga

Black brotherhoods in Málaga. Religious and mutual-aid associations formed by free and enslaved Black individuals, important for community and identity.