jan 1, 1492 - Spanish Exploration and Conquest: Conquistadors; Encomienda System, Asiento System (NAT, SOC)

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The Spanish sphere of influence over the Americas was one of dominance for many years for a multitude of reasons. Spain was the first power to rediscover the Americas and was quick to establish a foothold amongst the New world, along with backing by the Church (which despite the Protestant Reformation still held notable importance). Spain was also quite quick to begin their conquest and exploitation of the Americas, utilizing explorers and conquerors colloquially known as conquistadors/conquistadores who traveled across key parts of the Americas, subjugating Native civilizations, and seizing their wealth in the name of Spain, quickly acquiring wealth and consequently power in spades (while also sending great quantities of gold to the Church). This conquest and the hunger for gold opened the door for the encomienda system, in which the Spanish gave power and authority to Spaniards of individual importance and giving them authority over lands and Natives as masters who are in turn responsible for the Natives. The Natives would be made to work on plantations or in search of precious metals in order to secure profits for their masters, generally under poor, abusive, and strenuous conditions which often resulted in deaths. This system bears a noticeable similarity to the feudal systems with serfs and lords of Europe and essentially slavery, but not chattel slavery. Eventually as disease ravaged Native American populations, there was less labor from which the Spanish could extract from the dwindling Native populations, and thus in order to maintain their profitable extractions of wealth, the Spanish began to make use of slaves from West Africa, and instituted the asiento system, allowing for the importing and use of West African slaves for labor, with the stipulation of a tax paid to the state for each slave imported. It is possible as well that the introduction of West African slaves was also motivated (albeit likely to a lesser degree than the dwindling of the previously readily available Native populations) by the racially biased pseudoscientific beliefs of the time which posited that the West African peoples on account of their race were while lesser than white people, were “hardy” and effective for labor. These systems displayed the perspective which the Spanish held over the peoples of New World as primarily a means to acquire wealth and power, rather than humans with rights.

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