AP WORLD UNIT 4 Labor system

Colonial Establishment: Each country establishes colonies for unique reasons, yet they serve standard purposes.
Labor Systems: New systems of labor are developed to accommodate colonial goals.
Economic Development: A new economic system is developed based on colonialism and the emergence of a new global trade market.

Definition: Political control for economic benefits.
Reasons for Establishing Colonies:
- Provision of Raw Materials: Colonies provide essential materials to the mother country.
- Market for Manufactured Goods: Colonies serve as consumers for the finished products from the mother country.
- Outlet for Excess Population: Colonies can alleviate population pressures at home by sending people abroad.

Role of the Mother Country: The mother country maintains colonies as long as they supply resources and must keep them politically and economically dependent.
National Variations:
- Spain: All decisions regarding colonies are made by the king.
- France: Colonies are subjected to high taxes imposed by the crown.
- England: Practices a policy of salutary neglect, allowing the colonies considerable autonomy as long as they contribute economically.

Spanish Mita System and Slave Trade: Coercive labor practices were established, notably characterized by systems like the Spanish mita.
Encomienda System (Spain):
- Landlords received haciendas and granted rights over the land, resources, and labor of the local inhabitants.
- Variations in Slavery:
- Caribbean/Brazil: Characterized by rapid turnover of enslaved individuals, making it more cost-effective to purchase new slaves rather than maintain existing ones.
- North America: The slave trade was established much later; thus, there was a greater need to maintain existing populations due to the earlier end of the trade.

Concept of Encomienda: A grant of authority over a population of Amerindians in Spanish colonies.
- The Plan: Spanish settlers were to protect, care for, and Christianize indigenous populations while they worked a portion of their time for those settlers.
- The Reality:
- Spanish settlers forced long hours of labor without payment.
- Failure to protect indigenous workers led to land seizure and disease spread.
- Abuses triggered clergy protests and Indian revolts, leading to the system's eventual end, replaced by repartimiento, which continued abusive practices.

Definition: An Andean labor system based on shared obligations to assist kinsmen and work on behalf of rulers and religious organizations.
Contextual Locations: Mention of important locations such as Potosí, Lima, and Asunción.

Definition: An unfree laborer contracted to work for another person or company for a specified period without monetary pay, often in exchange for essentials like accommodation and food, or to pay for passage to a new country.
First Wave: Many indentured servants were taken to Virginia; they were bound to their employers for a period while providing similar commodities to those produced by enslaved persons.

Latin America:
- Utilized the Mit'a System, requiring male labor with strict forced labor.
North American Colonies:
- Employed Indentured Servitude, granting rights of citizenship with signed contracts; provided similar commodities.
Caribbean:
- Practiced the Encomienda System, leading to the enslavement of native populations.

Definition: An economic philosophy promoting commercialism through the use of colonial raw materials and European manufacturing.
Necessary Factors:
- Possession of colonies.
- Capability of manufacturing goods.
- Currency based on gold and silver.

Wealth Accumulation: Based on obtaining bullion (gold and silver) primarily through favorable trade balances.
Favorable Balance of Trade:
- Emphasis on selling to other countries for gold while avoiding purchases from them.
Self-Sufficiency: Colonies play a critical role in providing raw materials and markets to prevent reliance on foreign trade.

Overview of Trade Routes:
- Africa provided slaves, while Europe exported manufactured goods, and colonies supplied raw materials.
Products:
- From North America: slaves, sugar, rice, silk, indigo, tobacco, etc.
- From West Indies: slaves.
- From Europe: iron, gunpowder, cloth, and luxuries.

Dependency on Raw Materials: Over-reliance on colonies for resources and limited trade led to economic vulnerabilities.
Hoarding Gold and Inflation: High levels of hoarding gold resulted in severe inflation, exemplified by prices in Spain increasing by 120% during the 1500s.

Impact of Mercantilism: Mercantilism encouraged the quest for new colonies, leading to cultural interactions, albeit negatively.
Colonial Alienation: Policies progressively alienated colonies from their mother countries.
Cultural Development: New cultures emerged based on syncretism resulting from interactions between different populations.