Notes on Spanish Colonization, Labor Systems, and Economic Theories

Spanish Colonization and Labor Systems

• Encomienda System

  • Established by the Spanish during colonization.
  • Granted Spanish settler responsibility for the protection and education of native populations in exchange for tribute, often in the form of labor.
  • This system exploited native labor and imposed heavy burdens on indigenous communities.

• Mit'a System

  • A traditional labor system used by the Incas that the Spanish adapted for silver mining.
  • Natives were compelled to work in dangerous conditions for little or no wages.

• Chattel Slavery

  • Europeans resorted to African slavery to prevent the complications associated with working the natives, who were familiar with the land and sometimes gained freedom through indentured servitude.
  • Chattel slavery enabled the ownership of people as property, ensuring that labor could be obtained without expectation of freedom.

• Middle Passage

  • Refers to the brutal transatlantic journey that enslaved Africans underwent.
  • Slaves were packed tightly into the hulls of ships, leading to high mortality rates due to disease and suffocation during transport.

Economic Systems and Mercantilism

• Mercantilism

  • Economic theory dominant in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century, advocating that countries should strive to accumulate wealth through trade, mainly in gold and silver.
  • Principles of mercantilism include:
  • Wealth is finite, necessitating competition among nations.
  • A favorable balance of trade is essential (more exports than imports).
  • Colonies exist primarily to benefit the mother country.

• Joint-Stock Companies

  • Investment schemes wherein private investors would pool resources for exploratory ventures, sharing both profits and risks.
  • Examples include the Dutch East India Company and the British East India Company, which were tools for expanding trade and colonial interests without governmental funding directly.