Why Did The Spanish Turn To African Slaves?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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To meet the mounting demand for labor in mining and agriculture, the Spanish began to exploit a new labor force: slaves from western Africa. … Further, because Africans came from

developed agricultural societies

, they were already familiar with highly organized tropical agriculture.

Why did the Spanish use African slaves?

With

the rise of sugar cultivation as an export product

, Spaniards increasingly utilized enslaved African people for labor on commercial plantations.

How did slavery start in Spain?

Slavery in Spain can be traced to the

times of the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans

. In the 9th century the Muslim Moorish rulers and local Jewish merchants traded in Spanish and Eastern European Christian slaves. Spain began to trade slaves in the 15th century and this trade reached its peak in the 16th century.

Why did the Spanish begin to use African slaves on their plantations in the New World?

The Spaniards’ superior weapons, the diseases that accompanied them, and the support of other native peoples. Why did the Spanish begin to use African slaves on their plantations in the New World?

They needed slaves to work in the mines and plantations after the Spanish monarchy abolished the encomienda

.

Why did the Spanish enslave the Amerindians?

Two of the principal arguments used to justify the enslavement of Amerindians were the concepts of

“just war”

(i.e. the notion that anyone who refused to accept Christianity, or rebelled against Spanish rule, could be enslaved), and “rescate” or ransom (the idea that Amerindians held captive by other groups could be …

How many slaves did New Spain have?

In 1521 the Africans in New Spain numbered no more than a dozen, but by 1570 there were about

20,000

. In 1646 they numbered more than 35,000, although the population declined. By 1810 they were about 10,000, distributed mainly along the coasts and in tropical areas.

How were slaves captured in Africa?

Most of the Africans who were enslaved were captured

in battles or were kidnapped

, though some were sold into slavery for debt or as punishment. The captives were marched to the coast, often enduring long journeys of weeks or even months, shackled to one another.

Who started slavery in Africa?

The transatlantic slave trade began during the 15th century when

Portugal

, and subsequently other European kingdoms, were finally able to expand overseas and reach Africa. The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to Europe.

When did Spain stop slavery?


1811

– Spain abolishes slavery, including in its colonies, though Cuba rejects ban and continues to deal in slaves.

What was the last country to abolish slavery?


Mauritania

is the world’s last country to abolish slavery, and the country didn’t make slavery a crime until 2007. The practice reportedly affects up to 20% of the country’s 3.5 million population (pdf, p. 258), most of them from the Haratin ethnic group.

What factors enabled the Spanish to defeat the Aztecs?

  • Superior Weapons. Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas.
  • Alliances and Experience. The invading Spanish forces also took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec and Inca empires.
  • The Power of Horses.
  • Deadly Disease.

What did Native American slaves do?

The Indian slave trade

Especially in the southern colonies, initially developed for resource exploitation rather than settlement, colonists purchased or captured Native Americans to be used as forced labor in

cultivating tobacco

, and, by the eighteenth century, rice, and indigo.

What was the most common means for colonists to acquire Native American slaves?


Wars

offered the most common means for colonists to acquire Native American slaves. African slaves were a cheaper, more plentiful labor source than indentured servants, who were mostly poor Europeans.

What Native American tribes were cannibals?

There is ample evidence that most, if not all, of the Indians of northeastern America engaged in cannibalism and torture—there is documentation of

the Huron, Neutral, and Algonquin tribes

each exhibiting the same behavior.

What is New Spain now?

New Spain was the name that the Spanish gave to the area that today is

central and southern Mexico

, and since the capital city of the Viceroyalty was in Mexico City, the name was also used for the viceroyalty. … New Spain also included Venezuela before it was annexed to the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717.

What was the oldest province that belonged to New Spain?

Santa Cruz de Nuca was the northernmost establishment of New Spain. It was the first European colony in what is now the province of

British Columbia

and the only Spanish settlement in what is now Canada.

Maria LaPaige
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Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.