Overview
This lecture covers the transformation of labor systems and society in Spanish America, focusing on the introduction of African slavery, the encomienda system, and the creation of a racial caste hierarchy.
Transformation of Slavery in the Americas
- Europeans changed African slavery from limited, non-hereditary bondage to a permanent, inheritable system.
- European traders exchanged goods, especially guns, for enslaved Africans along the African coast.
- Increased availability of guns led to more intense African raids and increased supply of enslaved people.
Justification for Enslavement
- Europeans saw Africans as different but still human, creating a moral dilemma about slavery.
- To justify enslavement, Europeans developed ideas of African inferiority, including misinterpretations of biblical stories (Curse of Ham).
- The narrative claimed Africans descended from Canaan and were biblically destined for servitude.
Native Labor and the Encomienda System
- The Spanish initially tried to use Native Americans as forced labor through the encomienda system.
- Encomenderos (Spanish landholders) received land and the right to native labor for agriculture and mining.
- Encomienda was justified as a means to convert natives to Christianity, backed by the legal document Requerimiento.
- The system failed as natives died from disease and frequently escaped due to their knowledge of the land.
Shift to African Enslaved Labor
- Africans were imported to replace native labor because of their greater immunity and unfamiliarity with the land.
- This change solidified African slavery in Spanish America.
Societal Restructuring: The Caste System
- The Spanish established a caste system (social hierarchy) based on racial ancestry to organize society and taxation.
- Order from top to bottom:
- Peninsulares (born in Spain)
- Creoles (Spanish descent, born in Americas)
- Mestizos (Spanish and Native ancestry)
- Mulattoes (Spanish and African ancestry)
- Africans
- Native Americans
- The caste system primarily benefited Spanish elites and increased taxes for those at lower levels.
Impact on Spain and the Colonies
- Wealth from the Americas enriched Spanish nobles but led to inflation and hurt the Spanish peasantry.
- The new social order and economic structures significantly shaped colonial societies.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Encomienda System — Spanish system granting land and native laborers to colonists.
- Encomendero — Spanish individual granted control over land and native labor.
- Requerimiento — Legal document justifying Spanish territorial claims and conversion of natives.
- Peninsulares — Spaniards born on the Iberian Peninsula, highest in colonial social order.
- Creoles (Criollos) — Spaniards born in the Americas.
- Mestizo — Person of mixed Spanish and Native American descent.
- Mulatto — Person of mixed Spanish and African descent.
- Caste System — Hierarchical social order based on ancestry and race.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review unit one, topic five notes for AP U.S. History.
- Prepare for unit two on further impacts of these systems.