The Native Americans in the Spanish Empire
In 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to fund the expedition of Christopher Columbus to Spain. The Spanish brought plants, animals, and diseases like influenza, smallpox, and the measles to the natives. This is referred to as the "Columbian Exchange" between the Old World and the Americas following Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean. The Spanish call the natives, Indians. These Native Americans/Indians did not have any immunity to these new diseases and it killed over 20 million. Between 1519-1619 over 90% of the Native American population had decreased. A majority of Spaniards treated the Native Americans unequally with disrespect by enslaving them and forcing them to adopt Christianity and European ways.
Queen Isabella was interested in the Native Americans and she said that the Native Americans were to be treated equally, humanely, and must not be enslaved. Some of the Native Americans were brought back to Spain as salves, so she had them returned and freed. However, the Native Americans should be Christianized and Europeanized. The Spanish colonists included the Native Americans in the community, but they were treated unequally. Christopher Columbus did not follow Queen Isabella's orders and treated the Native Americans unequally and inhumanely as slaves.
In 1520, Bartolome de Las Casas AKA the "Protector of the Indians" recognized the Indians as humans and argued that the conversion to Christianity had to be done peacefully. He presented this idea to King Charles the first and after much debate, the king sided with Bartolome. Over time the poor treatment of the Native Americans was slightly improved.
In Spain around 1532, towns were founded and Native Americans worked on recently established sugar plantations. About a decade later the Native American resistance was broken by disease, missionary action, and military force. Spanish authorities granted the Native Americans certain rights and most importantly wanted them assimilated into the Spanish culture. In 1542, Spain promoted the New Laws which stated that the Native Americans were not to be enslaved. Gonzalo Pizarro organized an unsuccessful rebellion in protest to the New Law. The Spanish believed that they could bring true "freedom" to the Native Americans by helping them adopt Christianity. In turn, millions of Native Americans were converted to Christianity. The Native Americans were no longer slaves because they had access to land, were paid monetary wages, and could no longer be sold or bough.
In 1550, the government awarded ecomiendas to conquerors who used their Native Americans as a source of labor. The first settlers could take over conquered Native Americans lands with the right to extract forced labor from the native inhabitants. In 1620, the ecomiendas disappeared which resulted in colonists looking for grants of land. Following this, the government established the repartimiento system where residents of Native Americans villages were required to perform a fixed amount of labor each year. The Native Americans continued to work for the Spanish which led to abuse by Spanish landlords and priests. To escape forced labor, a lot of Native Americans fled their villages to work for money from landowners and urban employers.The Spanish continued to concentrate Native Americans in towns and and seized their lands.
During the middle of the 16th century, major silver mines were opened which led to wealthy urban centers. The Native Americans were initially forced to work the mines, but later they were paid for their work. Spanish America remained an agricultural economy. Sheep raising led to the formation of small textile sweatshops which were worked by Native American women. By 1600, mestizos which were mixed with Spanish and Native American blood were a large part of Spanish America's urban population.
The missions in Spain helped the Spanish control the land. The missionaries helped the Native Americans create a better food supply, offered them protection against enemies, taught them carpentry and metalworking, and taught them to read and write. Although the missionaries helped the Native Americans often worked the Native Americans like salves and wanted to convert them to Christianity. This made the Native Americans unhappy, so some ran rebelled by destroying churches, killing missionaries, and they ran away.
On August 10, 1680, a religious leader from Taos Pueblo named Pope helped lead the Pueblo Indians into rebellion against the Spanish which is also known as the Revolt of the Pueblo Indians. The revolt was planned by over 70 communities during the summer of 1680 to take place on a single day. That night the Pueblo Indians attacked the Spanish authorities by burning the colonial headquarters in Santa Fe. More than 400 Spanish soldiers and civilians were killed by the Pueblo Indian rebellions. The Pueblo Indians gained independence and set up a government that lasted until 1692. In 1692, the Spanish regained control of Santa Fe and they forced the Pueblo Indians to work on sugar plantations.
References
[1] Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty: An American History, 3rd ed. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2011), 29.
[2] Hanke, Lewis. Bartolome de Las Casas. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1952.
[3] The Spanish and Native Americans. European Eploration of the Americas. Accessed February 14, 2014. http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/TBurke1/files/2.3%20The%20Spanish%20and%20Native%20Americans.pdf
[4] Raymer, Gayle. The Colonists - What They Created. Accessed February 10, 2014. http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/colonial.html
[5] Early Latin America. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Accessed February 12, 2014. http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_wcap_4/18/4650/1190462.cw/
In 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to fund the expedition of Christopher Columbus to Spain. The Spanish brought plants, animals, and diseases like influenza, smallpox, and the measles to the natives. This is referred to as the "Columbian Exchange" between the Old World and the Americas following Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean. The Spanish call the natives, Indians. These Native Americans/Indians did not have any immunity to these new diseases and it killed over 20 million. Between 1519-1619 over 90% of the Native American population had decreased. A majority of Spaniards treated the Native Americans unequally with disrespect by enslaving them and forcing them to adopt Christianity and European ways.
Queen Isabella was interested in the Native Americans and she said that the Native Americans were to be treated equally, humanely, and must not be enslaved. Some of the Native Americans were brought back to Spain as salves, so she had them returned and freed. However, the Native Americans should be Christianized and Europeanized. The Spanish colonists included the Native Americans in the community, but they were treated unequally. Christopher Columbus did not follow Queen Isabella's orders and treated the Native Americans unequally and inhumanely as slaves.
In 1520, Bartolome de Las Casas AKA the "Protector of the Indians" recognized the Indians as humans and argued that the conversion to Christianity had to be done peacefully. He presented this idea to King Charles the first and after much debate, the king sided with Bartolome. Over time the poor treatment of the Native Americans was slightly improved.
In Spain around 1532, towns were founded and Native Americans worked on recently established sugar plantations. About a decade later the Native American resistance was broken by disease, missionary action, and military force. Spanish authorities granted the Native Americans certain rights and most importantly wanted them assimilated into the Spanish culture. In 1542, Spain promoted the New Laws which stated that the Native Americans were not to be enslaved. Gonzalo Pizarro organized an unsuccessful rebellion in protest to the New Law. The Spanish believed that they could bring true "freedom" to the Native Americans by helping them adopt Christianity. In turn, millions of Native Americans were converted to Christianity. The Native Americans were no longer slaves because they had access to land, were paid monetary wages, and could no longer be sold or bough.
In 1550, the government awarded ecomiendas to conquerors who used their Native Americans as a source of labor. The first settlers could take over conquered Native Americans lands with the right to extract forced labor from the native inhabitants. In 1620, the ecomiendas disappeared which resulted in colonists looking for grants of land. Following this, the government established the repartimiento system where residents of Native Americans villages were required to perform a fixed amount of labor each year. The Native Americans continued to work for the Spanish which led to abuse by Spanish landlords and priests. To escape forced labor, a lot of Native Americans fled their villages to work for money from landowners and urban employers.The Spanish continued to concentrate Native Americans in towns and and seized their lands.
During the middle of the 16th century, major silver mines were opened which led to wealthy urban centers. The Native Americans were initially forced to work the mines, but later they were paid for their work. Spanish America remained an agricultural economy. Sheep raising led to the formation of small textile sweatshops which were worked by Native American women. By 1600, mestizos which were mixed with Spanish and Native American blood were a large part of Spanish America's urban population.
The missions in Spain helped the Spanish control the land. The missionaries helped the Native Americans create a better food supply, offered them protection against enemies, taught them carpentry and metalworking, and taught them to read and write. Although the missionaries helped the Native Americans often worked the Native Americans like salves and wanted to convert them to Christianity. This made the Native Americans unhappy, so some ran rebelled by destroying churches, killing missionaries, and they ran away.
On August 10, 1680, a religious leader from Taos Pueblo named Pope helped lead the Pueblo Indians into rebellion against the Spanish which is also known as the Revolt of the Pueblo Indians. The revolt was planned by over 70 communities during the summer of 1680 to take place on a single day. That night the Pueblo Indians attacked the Spanish authorities by burning the colonial headquarters in Santa Fe. More than 400 Spanish soldiers and civilians were killed by the Pueblo Indian rebellions. The Pueblo Indians gained independence and set up a government that lasted until 1692. In 1692, the Spanish regained control of Santa Fe and they forced the Pueblo Indians to work on sugar plantations.
References
[1] Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty: An American History, 3rd ed. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2011), 29.
[2] Hanke, Lewis. Bartolome de Las Casas. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1952.
[3] The Spanish and Native Americans. European Eploration of the Americas. Accessed February 14, 2014. http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/TBurke1/files/2.3%20The%20Spanish%20and%20Native%20Americans.pdf
[4] Raymer, Gayle. The Colonists - What They Created. Accessed February 10, 2014. http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/colonial.html
[5] Early Latin America. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Accessed February 12, 2014. http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_wcap_4/18/4650/1190462.cw/