AP World HistoryPOD #15 – Europe Encounters America

Latin American Society

Class Discussion NotesBulliet et. al. – “Spanish America and Brazil”, pp. 481-491

Historical Context“The frontiers of conquest and settlement expanded rapidly.

Within one hundred years of Columbus’ first voyage to the Western Hemisphere, the Spanish Empire in America included most of the islands of the Caribbean and a vast area that stretched from northern Mexico to the plains of the Rio de Plata region (a region that includes the modern nations of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). Portuguese settlement developed more slowly, but before the end of the sixteenth century, Portugal had occupied most of the Brazilian coast.

Early settlers from Spain and Portugal sought to create colonial societies based on the institutions and customs of their homelands. They viewed society as a vertical hierarchy of estates (classes of society), as uniformly Catholic, and as an arrangement of patriarchal extended-family networks. They quickly moved to establish the religious, social, and administrative institutions that were familiar to them.” (Bulliet, p. 481)

Controlling the colonies Spanish crown desired to quickly limit the power and

authority of the conquistadors and to establish royal supremacy in the New World colonies

Royal control over native inhabitants and European settles was crucial, but this was a difficult and slow process as it took over 200 days to make a round trip journey from Spain to Mexico and back

Viceroys (highest ranking Spanish official in the colony) therefore had broad political and military power and authority

Originally the title of viceroy was granted by the monarch to a Spanish born citizen, however, due to financial mismanagement of the colonies these positions were sold to the highest bidder resulting in many local born men gaining significant power

Colonial Finances Governing the Spanish and Portuguese colonies was

much more expensive than those of the British or French in North America

The colonies were originally financed by the enormous amounts of gold and silver mined in the region, as well as through the sale of sugar cane

However, the heavy tax burden imposes by the colonial governments drained essential capital from the colonies, slowing investment and retarding economic growth

Catholic Church Operated as the primary agent for the introduction and transmission of

Christian beliefs, as well as European language and culture into the Latin American colonies

The Church promoted intellectual life by introducing the printing press and establishing schools and universities (this was especially the work of the Jesuits)

Conversion rates in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies rivaled that of Europe in the time immediately after the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine (like other religious conversions efforts were especially focused on the elites of society)

Please note – while the conversion rate was high, the quality of indoctrination lagged as there were not enough clergy to meet this growing need and demand

The Roman Catholic Church would become the richest institution in the Spanish colonies controlling ranches, plantations, and vineyards, as well as serving as the societies banker

Bartolome de Las Casas Despite many failures, the Catholic clergy did

provide native peoples with some protections against the abuses and exploitations of the Spanish settlers

Arrived as a settler in the New World in 1502 and made a living off of the forced labor of the native population before entering the Dominican religious order, becoming the first bishop of Chiapas

New Laws of 1542 – reform legislation that outlawed the enslavement of Amerindians and limited other forms of forced labor

World Economics (the good) “The silver mines of Peru and Mexico and the sugar

plantations of Brazil dominated the economic development of European capitalism and funded Europe’s greatly expanded trade with Asia. Profits in these economic centers also promoted the growth of colonial cities, concentrated scarce investment capital and labor resources, and stimulated the development of livestock raising agriculture in neighboring rural areas. Once established this colonial dependence on mineral and agricultural exports left and enduring social and economic legacy in Latin America.” (Bulliet, p. 484)

World Economics (the bad) This large influx of gold and silver bullion

created rampant inflation around the world As a result of this inflation, Spain went

bankrupt five times during this era and Ming China attempted to print paper money and copper coinage to control the inflation (silver was too popular and these reforms failed)

Encomienda From the arrival of the first Europeans, native

populations were forced to provide labor for the settlers

The Spanish divided the workers among the settlers and forced them to provide labor or goods

The New Laws of 1542 (de Las Casas) sought to eliminate this system as a reform to the devastation created by epidemics and the general mistreatment of the natives

Mita The discovery of silver in the mines of Mexico led to

the establishment of a new system where Amerindians who had survived the epidemics were paid a days wage by the miners

In Peru the population survived relatively untouched by the disease epidemics and the Spanish used the MITA where 1/7 of adult male Amerindians were compelled to work for 2 to 4 months each year in mines, farms or textile mills

Slave Labor “Amerindian slaves remained an important source of labor

and slave raiding a significant business in frontier regions into the eighteenth century. But sugar planters eventually came to rely more on African slaves. African slaves at first cost much more than Amerindian slaves, but planters found them more productive and resistant to disease. As profits from the plantations increased, imports of African slaves rose from an average of two thousand per year in the late sixteenth century to approximately seven thousand per year a century later, outstripping the immigration of free Portuguese settlers. Between 1650 and 1750, for example, nearly five African slaves arrived in Brazil for every immigrant from Europe.” (Bulliet, p. 487)

Manumission Both the Spanish and Portuguese allowed for manumission

(allowing slaves to purchase/earn their individual freedom) Colonial courts sometimes intervened to protect slaves from

the worst abuses or to protect married couples from separation

Domestic slaves were the most likely to be granted their freedom (without having to pay)

Slave women received the majority of manumissions and because children born subsequently were considered free, the free black population grew rapidly

Colonial Social Hierarchy Peninsulares – European born Spanish or Portuguese sent to administer

the colony – loyal to the crown Creoles – American born Spaniards or Portuguese – thought of

themselves as the colonial risk takers and builders – resented their subordination to the peninsulares

Mestizos – mixed European and Amerindian ancestry – male settlers would often seek a wife once in the New World

Mulattos – mixed European and African population – slave masters would often sexually abuse and assault their female slaves (some did fall in love with these women – Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemmings)

Slaves – imported from Africa to work the land as a replacement to the native work force who had died during the epidemics – they were seen as property but also had significant economic value and therefore very limited social standing

Amerindians – original inhabitants of the land, were originally enslaved, later died during the epidemics and were seen as prone to rebellion