When Spain first enslaved Native Americans on Hispaniola, and then replaced them with captive Africans, it established slave labor as the basis for colonial sugar production .
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.
When did the Spanish start using African slaves?
Spain began to trade slaves in the 15th century and this trade reached its peak in the 16th century. The history of Spanish enslavement of Africans began with Portuguese captains Antão Gonçalves and Nuno Tristão in 1441.
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 did the Spanish treat the native slaves?
Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain . He told King Ferdinand that in 1515 scores of natives were being slaughtered by avaricious conquistadors without having been converted.
How many slaves did Spain bring to America?
As of 1778, it was reported by Thomas Kitchin that “about 52,000 slaves” were being brought from Africa to the West Indies by Europeans, with approximately 4,000 being brought by the Spanish.
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.
When did America abolish Spanish 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 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.
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 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.
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.
Did the Spanish trade with the natives?
Trading between Spanish settlers and Native Americans was rare and occurred in parts of New Mexico and California. The Spanish mainly intended to spread the Christian faith to Natives and to establish the encomienda system.
What is the black legend in history?
Black Legend, Spanish Leyenda Negra, term indicating an unfavourable image of Spain and Spaniards, accusing them of cruelty and intolerance , formerly prevalent in the works of many non-Spanish, and especially Protestant, historians.
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.
