Unit 4 labor systems

Hacienda (4.4 F)

A large estate or plantation in Latin America, often owned by Spanish settlers or elites. Laborers, including indigenous people, worked on haciendas—sometimes under exploitative or semi-coerced conditions. It was a key feature of the colonial economic system.

Encomienda (4.4 F)

A Spanish labor system in the Americas where colonists were granted the right to collect tribute and force labor from indigenous people in exchange for “protection” and Christian teaching. In practice, it often led to the abuse and exploitation of native populations.

Indentured Servitude (4.4 F)

A labor system in which individuals worked for a set number of years (usually 4–7) in exchange for passage to the Americas. After completing their term, they were supposed to gain freedom and sometimes land. Conditions could be harsh, and some did not survive their contracts.

African Diaspora (4.4F, 4.4G)

The widespread dispersion of Africans, primarily due to the transatlantic slave trade. Millions were forcibly relocated to the Americas, creating a global African cultural presence that shaped music, food, religion, and social systems across the world.