European Colonization and Slavery

Maize and Corn

  • In the early 1500s, maize and corn were a significant part of trade and exchange.
  • The Pueblo people are a great example of a group that grew maize.

European Colonization: The Three G's

  • Europeans started colonizing the New World for three main reasons:
    • Gold
    • Glory
    • God
  • This colonization began in 1492 and continued into the early 1500s.
  • Spain and other groups had the same three goals but in different orders of importance.

The Encomienda System

  • The pursuit of gold and silver mines led to the creation of the encomienda system.
  • Under this system, Spanish colonizers received land from the Spanish government in exchange for:
    • Bringing in more enslaved labor.
    • Bringing more economic resources (gold and silver) into the Spanish empire.
  • The encomienda system incentivized settlement in New Spain and empowered "peninsulares."
    • Peninsulares: People from Spain who settled in North America and established plantations for agriculture, gold, and silver.
  • African slaves were used as forced manual labor in gold and silver mines.
  • The encomienda system created a hierarchy that favored Europeans and discriminated against non-Europeans, keeping them in inferior positions.

Caste System

  • The system is a rigid, stratified system.

Debate on Treatment of Native Americans

  • Documents from the time reflect the debate between De Las Casas and Sepulveda on the treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish.
  • De Las Casas argued against Sepulveda regarding the Spanish treatment of Native Americans in gold mines and other cultural interactions.
  • The argument is a recurring theme throughout U.S. history concerning the treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish, English, and later, westward-expanding America.

African Slave Trade

  • The West African slave trade began in the early 1500s.
  • Most African slaves during this period were brought to the Caribbean region.

Racial Hierarchy and Disease

  • The caste system inspired racial hierarchies in other countries.
  • Diseases wiped out a significant portion of the Native American population due to lack of immunity.