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Who worked in the encomienda system?
Spanish Crown
The encomienda system is a labor system established by the Spanish Crown in the 1500s. This new system rewarded Spanish explorers, conquistadors, and military men with land in the New World. But they didn’t just get the land, they got the labor of the people living on the land as well.
How did Encomienda system start?
The encomienda was first established in Spain following the Christian conquest of Moorish territories (known to Christians as the Reconquista), and it was applied on a much larger scale during the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the Spanish Philippines.
Who benefited from the Encomienda system?
The encomienda system allowed for a vast accumulation of wealth by the conquistadors and the Spanish crown. They benefited from the discovery of gold and silver in the New World, and the mining of those metals by their laborers.
Was the encomienda system legal?
encomienda, in Spain’s American and Philippine colonies, legal system by which the Spanish crown attempted to define the status of the indigenous population. It was based upon the practice of exacting tribute from Muslims and Jews during the Reconquista (“Reconquest”) of Muslim Spain.
What happened under the Encomienda system?
In the encomienda, the Spanish Crown granted a person a specified number of natives from a specific community but did not dictate which individuals in the community would have to provide their labor. Indigenous leaders were charged with mobilizing the assessed tribute and labor.
Was the Encomienda system successful?
The Spanish colonists abused the encomienda system, essentially rendering it a system of slave labor. The attempt failed, as encomenderos ignored the laws and revolted against any attempt to weaken their power of the their laborers.
What is the encomienda system?
See Article History. Encomienda, in colonial Spanish America, legal system by which the Spanish crown attempted to define the status of the Indian population in its American colonies. It was based upon the practice of exacting tribute from Muslims and Jews during the Reconquista (“Reconquest”) of Muslim Spain.
What were the encomiendas of the conquistadors?
many conquistadors were provided with encomiendas, a form of vassal slavery in which a particular Indian population was granted to a Spaniard. The system alleviated demands on the treasury and also transplanted the Spanish social hierarchy to the colonies.
What has changed about the hacienda?
The postwar years have also brought a more complete, realistic, and articulated picture of the hacienda, yielding new points of comparability with the encomienda.
How did the encomienda devolve into a form of slavery?
Encomiendas devolved from their original Iberian form into a form of “communal” slavery. In the encomienda, the Spanish Crown granted a person a specified number of natives from a specific community but did not dictate which individuals in the community would have to provide their labor.