It was based upon the practice of exacting tribute from Muslims and Jews during the Reconquista (Reconquest) of Muslim Spain. The encomienda was a grant of the right to use labor and exact tribute from a given group of natives conveyed to a person in return for service to the Spanish crown. Conquistadors were fortune hunters granted authority by the Spanish Crown to establish colonies. Consequences of the Conquest of the Aztecs, The 10 Best Books About Early Colonial History, 10 Facts About the Conquest of the Inca Empire, 10 Notable Spanish Conquistadors Throughout History, Biography of Diego de Almagro, Spanish Conquistador, Biography of Francisco Pizarro, Spanish Conqueror of the Inca, Armor and Weapons of the Spanish Conquistadors, The History of Latin America in the Colonial Era, Biography of Hernn Corts, Ruthless Conquistador. Minster, Christopher. . The encomienda system was the subject of controversy in Spain and its territories almost from its start. As initially defined, the encomendero and his heirs expected to hold these grants in perpetuity. 13 US Colonies History & Influences | Who Ruled the 13 Colonies? Encomienda did not cause epidemic deaths. Encomienda spread with the spread of Spanish colonies and became a common feature of their economies. In 1550, the crown abolished the encomienda system, which had allowed the Spanish to seize Native Americans' lands and force their labor. The encomienda system was ended legally in 1720, when the crown attempted to abolish the institution. It placed hundreds and sometimes thousands of Indians under the control of individual Spaniards at a time when a bureaucracy had not yet been established. Many priests and Catholic brothers were appalled at the treatment of indigenous people under the encomienda system. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/encomienda. The encomenderos had lobbied for years for the encomiendas to be made permanent and passable from one generation to another, something the King had always resisted. This implied that enslaving them was illegal except under very specific conditions. Mira Caballos, Esteban. [39], Skepticism towards accusations of genocide linked to the encomienda and the Spanish conquest and settlement of the Americas typically involve arguments like those of Noble David Cook, wherein scholars posit that accusations of genocide are a continuation of the Spanish Black Legend. In Bolivia and Peru, revolutions and influential leaders helped to eliminate the hacienda system from these countries. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995. The encomienda system was at least partly responsible for the emergence of a new mixed population called Mestizos people who are of white European and American Indian descent. Both natives and Spaniards appealed to the Real Audiencias for relief under the encomienda system. In Peru and New Spain, local conditions were more favorable, and they lasted considerably longer. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. system of forced labor called the encomienda. With the catastrophic decline in the Indian population and the replacement of mining activities by agriculture in Spanish America, the system lost its effectiveness and was gradually replaced by the hacienda system of landed estates. Best Answer. Spain's American Colonies and the Encomienda System. So many died that climate scientists think a period of global cooling may have resulted. It was usually the land that had belonged to the Moorish leader of the conquered territory. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. However, the date of retrieval is often important. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In reality, indigenous people were forced to provide labor. crown. Chapter 1: A New World Flashcards | Quizlet Some were experienced soldiers, but many were not. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/encomienda. Colonization would have destroyed local cultures no matter the labor system imposed. This aspect has been dealt with during previous lessons, so I will be very succinct. The encomenderos were then required to pay remaining encomienda laborers for their work. 3 (1971): 431-446. The Crown granted the use of land to encomenderos, but not ownership. Encyclopedia.com. Columbus established the encomienda system after his arrival and settlement on the island of Hispaniola requiring the natives to pay tributes or face brutal punishments. Tannenbaum and the Debates on Slavery, Emancipation, and Race Relations in Latin America,". In Mexico, viceroy Antonio de Mendoza decided against implementing the reform, citing local circumstances and the potential for a similar conqueror rebellion. Create your account. Slavery takes several forms. Along the way, The king bound himself "that the slave trade will be abolished in all the dominions of Spain, May 30, 1820, and that after that date it shall not be lawful for . Walker, Tamara J. In Puerto Rico, the Tano primarily worked in the gold mines. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. How did the encomienda system work? https://www.thoughtco.com/spains-american-colonies-encomienda-system-2136545 (accessed March 4, 2023). An encomienda was a royal grant to collect tribute in the form of goods or labor. Lowcountry Digital History Initiative", "Slavery and Atlantic slave trade facts and figures", "A century between resistance and adaptation: commentary on source 021", "Slavery took hold in Florida under the Spanish in the 'forgotten century' of 1492-1619", "Perspective - Everyone is talking about 1619. Dominican priests played an important role in the movement to abolish it. Their wealth and their status as first-and second-generation conquerors gave them the leisure and respect that enabled them to exercise an early monopoly of the town councils. In Peru, where encomiendas were granted on the ruins of the rich and mighty Inca Empire, the abuses soon reached epic proportions. Nueva crnica y buen gobierno. What was the encomienda system? Christianization was also a feature of encomienda in Spanish colonies. Why did the Spanish monarchy abolished the encomienda system? succeed. The settlers rallied around Gonzalo Pizarro, one of the leaders of the original conquest of the Inca Empire and brother of Francisco Pizarro. The son of a merchant who would accompany Christopher Columbus on his second voyage and, PUEBLO REVOLT. The encomienda system began in the early 16th century, and continued till the beginning of the 18th century in most parts of the New World. These lands were often quite vast. The encomienda did not include a grant of land, but in practice the encomenderos gained control of lands inhabited by Indios and failed to fulfill their obligations to the indigenous population. The Spanish crown was in a tough spot: the "royal fifth," or 20% tax on conquests and mining in the New World, was fueling the expansion of the Spanish Empire. As councilmen they set prices for basic goods and services as well as the standards of morality and sanitation for the Spanish community. Ovando was a Knight of the Order of Alcantara, which fought the Moors during the Reconquista. [36] Historian Andrs Resndez contends that enslavement in gold and silver mines was the primary reason why the Native American population of Hispaniola dropped so significantly, as the conditions that native peoples were subjected to under enslavement, from forced relocation to hours of hard labour, contributed to the spread of disease. Indigenous people would provide limited tribute and labor, and colonists would provide religious and cultural instruction. a system in which land was distributed to the native people. What was the Encomienda System? - Study.com Control of Indian labor became the basis of the fortunes of the encomendero elite, who became wealthy by selling provisions to arriving Spanish immigrants and by renting them stores and homes that had been built with the Indian labor they controlled. Joint-Stock Company Examples & History | What is a Joint-Stock Company? [19] Although expecting Spanish protection from warring tribes, the islanders sought to join the Spanish forces. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. "Encomienda Natives were required to perform a fixed amount of labor. The lands were run by cruel overseers and Native chieftains who often demanded extra tribute themselves, making the lives of the Indigenous people even more miserable. The encomienda system did not grant people land, but it indirectly aided in the settlers' acquisition of land. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The encomienda was a grant of the right to use labor and exact tribute from a given group of natives conveyed to a person in return for service to the Spanish crown. Although the encomienda was not officially abolished until the late 18th century, in September 1721 the conferment of new encomiendas in Spains colonies was prohibited. Las Casas participated in an important debate, where he pushed for the enactment of the New Laws and an end to the encomienda system. [26], In most of the Spanish domains acquired in the 16th century the encomienda phenomenon lasted only a few decades. The system was abolished throughout the Spanish colonies in 1791. It was viewed as a vulgar act and below Western humanitarian . Encomenderos ignored the terms of the grant and demanded as much labor as could be had. [22] Conceding to Las Casas's viewpoint, the peace treaty between the Tanos and the audiencia was eventually disrupted in four to five years. Johnson, Lyman L. "Manumission in Colonial Buenos Aires, 1776-1810. As the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln to free all slaves being held in states at war with the Union, the envisioned "Second . Gonzalo Pizarro's supporters had urged him to declare himself King of Peru, but he refused: had he done so, Peru might have successfully split from Spain 300 years early. This lucidly shows that the encomienda system was dichotomous to slavery. The mining of precious metals and the production of cash crops were the focus of encomienda activity. The Spanish Crown conceived of encomienda as being relatively protective of indigenous people but did not succeed in making it so. "Nicols de Ovando" in. Some have argued that the hacienda developed directly from the encomienda. The encomienda system was different from slavery on paper, but not all that different in practice. Outside of New Spain and Peru, encomienda was short-lived in most Spanish colonies, as the depopulation of the Americas due to war and disease, pressure for reform from the Crown, and changes in colonial economies made the system less serviceable. "Encomienda By this system, pieces of territory, with their inhabitants and resources, were granted by the Spanish king to the colonizers as a reward for services to the Crown. Although the original intent of the encomienda was to reduce the abuses of forced labour (repartimiento) employed shortly after Europeans 15th-century discovery of the New World, in practice it became a form of enslavement.