Why Did The Spanish Enslave The Amerindians?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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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 …

What did the Spanish use slaves for?

Prior to 1492, Spain consisted of several different nations: different categories of people were enslaved in each, and slavery was conducted under different regulations. Generally, these slaves were used for

services and employed in various ways such as employment “in domestics, artisans an assistance of all kinds”

.

How did the Spanish justify the enslavement of Amerindians?

How did Spain justify enslaving Native Americans? The

Spanish believed that enslavement could liberate Native Americans from their backwardness and savagery and introduce them to Christian civilization

. According to Bartolomé de Las Casas: Spain had caused the deaths of millions of innocent people in the New World.

When did the Spanish bring slaves to America?

In

August 1518

, King Charles I authorized Spain to ship enslaved people directly from Africa to the Americas. The edict marked a new phase in the transatlantic slave trade in which the numbers of enslaved people brought directly to the Americas—without going through a European port first—rose dramatically.

Why did the Spanish import slaves from Africa?

Slavery in New Spain was based mainly on the importation of slaves from Africa

to work in the colony in the enormous plantations, ranches or mining areas of the viceroyalty

, since their physical consistency made them suitable for working in warm areas.

How many slaves did the Spanish bring to America?

. Mainland North America Slaves arriving under Spanish flag 1701–1760 188,900 300 1761–1820 184,200 133,600 1821–1867 500 563,100 Total

388,700

1,026,100

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.

Why did it take so long for indigenous enslavement to end?

Why did it take so long for Indigenous enslavement to end in the United States?

The constitutional amendment that ended enslavement of Black people did not apply to Indigenous people because they were not considered citizens of the United States until 1924

.

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.

When did the first African slaves arrive in the US?

First enslaved Africans arrive in Jamestown, setting the stage for slavery in North America. On

August 20, 1619

, “20 and odd” Angolans, kidnapped by the Portuguese, arrive in the British colony of Virginia and are then bought by English colonists.

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.

How many slaves did Spain transport across the Atlantic?

Recent estimates suggest that by 1625,

approximately 475,000 enslaved Africans

had been involuntarily transported to the Spanish Americas and Brazil—more than the number of Africans who disembarked in British North America and the United States during the course of the entire transatlantic slave trade.

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.

Does slavery still exist in Africa?

Although the colonial authorities attempted to suppress slavery from about 1900, this had very limited success, and after decolonization,

slavery continues in many parts of Africa despite being technically illegal

.

Where did most of the slaves from Africa go?

The majority of enslaved Africans went to

Brazil

, followed by the Caribbean. A significant number of enslaved Africans arrived in the American colonies by way of the Caribbean, where they were “seasoned” and mentored into slave life.

Maria LaPaige
Author
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.