The Spanish Colonies

1. The Spanish Colonies

2. Born a Native • Born as a native in 1525 south of the central valley • Taunted and brutalized by the Spaniards from birth • My mother tells stories of freedom and opulence • The Spanish believe we are savage and uncouth

3. The Encomienda System • Before my birth my family was relocated to a Spanish town in the central valley • The Laws of Burgos passed on July 28, 1513 justified these actions of the Spanish • Under the ecomienda system my parents were forced into labor on large tracts of land • I was born into this system of slavery

4. The Requerimiento • Our people forced to attend Catholic church regularly • Forced to pray in Latin and worship Christ • Stripped of our traditional clothing and forbade from bathing • Spanish viewed this system as just and compassionate • Failure to comply led to enslavement or death

5. Disease • 4 out of 5 natives died: no immunity • Thousands of our people died from Spanish diseases • smallpox, chicken pox, diphtheria, influenza, scarlet fever, measles, • typhoid, mumps, influenza, and cocoliztli • Spanish became more desperate for labor

6. African American Enslavement • Loss of native labor • Black slaves replaced and worked along side our native people • King Charles V of Spain had agreed to the shipment of 4,000 Africans a year to the Americas

7. Bartolomé de las Casas • “Father of anti-imperialism and anti-racism” • A priest, a scholar, a historian, and a Spanish Colonist • Believed that my people are “obedient, faithful, and virtuous” • His word led the Spanish royalty to establish the New Laws of 1542 • Bartolomé de Las Casas wanted to save our souls

8. New Laws of 1542 • System of rotational labor • We were required to work only six percent of each year • Our people were supposed to paid for our labor • Split up among Spaniards according to who needed the most economic help • Administrators were supposed to control the Spaniards treatment of our people

9. Corruption in the Repartimiento • We continued to suffer through beatings • Little money we did receive went to the Spanish Crown and to the Catholic Church • The Spanish cared nothing of our mistreatment • They only worried that they would loose their labor force

10. The Mines • Silver mines had been discovered to the north of the central valley, especially in Zacatecas, Real del Monte, Pachuca, and Guanajuato • Silver has accounted for nearly 80 percent of all exports from the Americas • The labor of the mines was much more grueling, enough to kill our strongest men

11. Silver Mine, El Chino

12. Debt Peonage • Employed by Spanish landowners further from concentrated areas • Natives paid in the form of loans • Patróns were benevolent and generous • More freedom for our people

13. Acculturation • Natives acquiesced to Spanish religious instruction for fear of mistreatment • Close contact with these foreign men • Difficulty of continuing traditional practices

14. Conclusion • Natives of Mexico suffered severe instances of violence at the hands on the Spaniards • Torn from traditional villages and concentrated in centers • The Spanish developed the encomienda system which forced natives into slavery • New Laws of 1542 ended the encomienda system and instituted the repartimiento system • Decimation of the native population can be attributed to disease

15. The Slave Owners

16. Importing Slaves • Indigenous slaves burdensome: moved towards African American slavery. • August 18, 1518: Charles V granted Lorenzo de Gorrevod permission to import 4000 African slaves into New Spain.

17. Imported Slaves • Estimated 36,500 African slaves were brought to the shores of Mexico. • Blacks were better slaves than indigenous people • More willing to work • More able-bodied • Less-likely to escape • Didn’t know the land

18. Slave Economy • Seeing the value and demand, many invested in the selling and trading of slaves. • Prices varied enormously from place to place based on the distances involved. • Quality of slaves determined prices: • Youth • Strength • Health • Ability

19. Life at the Hacienda • Began at 4am by ringing the work bell • Meal breaks at noon • Observed workers • Had overseers to do work • Entertained guests, spent time with family, watched over hacienda

20. Responsibilities of Hacendados • Religious Responsibilities • Had to convert Indians to Catholicism • Other religions were not allowed • Punishable by whipping • Built a church on the land • Indians and Africans go on days off • Missionaries came to teach about religion

21. Responsibilities con’t • Schools • Built schools on land • Used to acclimate the workers to the new culture • Government involvement • Sent teachers to school • Provided books • Children learned reading, geography, and mathematics • Girls also learned to sew, cook, and nurse

22. Profits for Haciendas • All daily products used are produced on hacienda • Clothes weaved in shops • Livestock used for meat • Fruits and vegetables grown in fields • Traded with nearby hacendados • Indebted peonage • Pay and clothing advances • Indians spent money frivolously • Constant work force • Sugar cane

23. Clothing • Leather trousers and jacket with silver buttons • Sarape • Bright colors • Straw sombrero • Pearl hand pistol • Shows wealth and status

24. House • Large and luxurious - adobe • Porch that surrounds entire house • Beautifully decorated • Ornate paintings and woven rugs • Tile floors • Glass chandeliers • Elaborate wood carvings • Outside • Courtyard • Trees and shrubs • Fountains • Bell tower

25. Events at Hacienda • Weddings • Baptisms • Holidays • Saints’ days • Entertain guests • Hacendado • Judge

26. Slaves

27. Life Before Migration to Mexico • Worked in the fields daily in their homelands where they acquired useful skills • Slaves came from Ghana, but from Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, Congo, and Angola • Journey lasted nine months, unbearable conditions where disease spread rapidly, only a third survived

28. Why Slavery was Introduced • In 1517, Bartolome de las Casas proposed to King Charles V of Spain to use African slaves instead of the dying indigenous people • Spain had been converting the natives and did not want to use the newly converted Catholics as slaves. • Africans had already developed skills in mining, agriculture, ranching, forging metal

29. Life of a Slave Man and Woman • Were allocated two hours of free time a day • Preserved their culture with song and dance • Were given adequate corn and children over the age of ten were given a ration of beef • Worked long days in the fields; it was the main reason they had been brought to Mexico • Working on the fields included many different tasks such as: clearing, planting, and cultivating cane fields

30. Life of a Slave Man and Woman con’t • Sugar production was the most physically demanding and dangerous task performed by the Africans • The hazardous machinery cost many Africans their limbs and sometimes even their lives • Women slaves were scare; the ones that were there were most commonly used as servants or domestics

31. Siete Partidas • Provided certain rights for slaves • Mandated the caste system • Limited the masters power over a slave • Slaves were not allowed to work before the age of 17 or after the age of 60 • Prohibited to wear extravagant clothing, carry firearms, or be on the street after dark • Prevented native people from being enslaved • Discussed how a slave could be emancipated • EX: Judge could fix a price for freedom`

32. Methods of Resistance • In 1609 there was an organized rebellion in Veracruz • This rebellion was lead by two men by the name of Gaspar Yanga and Francisco de la Matosa • After fierce battles, Yanga came to negotiate a peace with the viceroy Luis de Velasco • A black community, called "San Lorenzo," which was later renamed as Yanga was founded and still exists • Spanish authorities suspected a new rebellion, in 1612, they imprisoned, tortured and executed 33 slaves (twenty nine males and four women). • Black slaves would wear Spanish petty coats in rebellion because it was considered blasphemous • Other forms of rebellion included running away

33. Spanish Freed Slaves

34. Castas • Absolute, exacting social stratification • Stigmatized by birth and skin color • Male slave + free woman = free children • Light-skinned could pass for high castas

35. Castas con’t • Main Castas: • Peninsular • Criollo • Mestizo • Mulatto • Other Castas for heritage combinations, derogatory names (Coyote, Lobo, etc)

37. Manumission • Allowed by Siete Partidas • Favorites freed in wills, sometimes freed with residual terms of service • Regulatory actions against abusive masters • Other methods: purchase, escape, military service

38. Cimarones • Runaway slaves • Preyed on travelers, citizens • Often banded w/ natives • Lived in secluded areas, small bands • Forced into treaty to return new runaways

39. Life after Manumission • “lingering servitude” • Increased workforce • Prominent artisans • Domestic workers • Merchants and shop owners • Militia • Forced to pay tribute

40. Life con’t • Little difference between free and slaves • Freed slaves lived generally as did the rest of the population • Prone to being brought before the inquisition. • Integrated into society and lost their visibility.