The Encomienda System in Spanish America

Study Notes

The Encomienda System in Spanish America: Feudal Origins, Labour vs Souls, and Protest & Change

The Encomienda was a system in Spanish America where Spanish settlers were granted the legal right to extract forced labor from indigenous tribal chiefs in exchange for military protection and the opportunity to be converted to Christianity.
Encomienda was a feudal term which derived from the verb encomendar, meaning "to entrust".
The encomienda system was extended to the Americas colonies from 1502 as a means to extract resources and as a reward for conquistadors.
The encomienda was not slavery, which the pope had prohibited in 1537, although thousands of indigenous peoples suffered what was, in practical reality, slavery in all but name.
The indigenous peoples were given protection from other European settlers and adventurers, and the encomendero could benefit from free labor for any purpose whatsoever.
The encomienda was usually granted for life but was not hereditary, and the right could even be held by municipalities.
The encomienda of a deceased holder usually reverted to the Crown with a small provision made to a surviving widow and any children.
The European attitude might have eased a few consciences on their side, but the indigenous peoples did not often see the relationship in these terms, and thousands suffered maltreatment and significant population reductions from diseases.
Bartolomé de las Casas protested against the encomienda system and wrote a graphic description of just what was going on in the New World in his A Very Brief Recital of the Destruction of the Indies of 1522.
The situation became so serious for the stability of internal affairs and European-Indian relations that there was even a move to abolish the encomienda in 1542, but the system continued until the first years of the 18th century.
The encomienda was replaced by the repartimiento system, which also involved forced labor, but this time the workers received a wage, albeit a low one.
The low wages were a poor compensation for being uprooted from one's family and community, but it was a step forward in comparison to the encomienda system.

Description

How much do you know about the Encomienda system in Spanish America? Test your knowledge with this quiz that delves into the feudal origins, labor vs souls, and the eventual protest and change that led to the system's demise. Explore the complexities of the encomienda relationship between Spanish settlers and indigenous tribal chiefs, its impact on the indigenous population, and the efforts made to abolish the system. Challenge yourself with questions that cover the history, key figures, and societal implications of this controversial system that