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Difficulty: HardEarly Transatlantic Contacts and Pre-1619 African Presence

In his 1538 *probanza de méritos y servicios* (petition of merits and services) to King Charles V of Spain, Juan Garrido wrote:

'I, Juan Garrido... resident of this city [Mexico City], appear before Your Mercy... and state that I went to discover and conquer the islands of San Juan and Cuba with the Governor Diego Velázquez, and likewise went with the Marqués del Valle [Hern��n Cortés] to find and conquer New Spain... and I was the first to plant and harvest wheat in New Spain.'

Based on the passage, which of the following statements best analyzes the historical significance of Garrido's petition?

  1. It illustrates that some Africans in early Spanish America held the status of free conquistadors who could formally petition the Crown and lay claim to economic achievements like introducing European agriculture.Answer
  2. B
    It proves that the Spanish Crown immediately implemented a fully formed system of racialized chattel slavery that legally prevented any African from claiming military or economic merits.
  3. C
    It demonstrates that the early African presence in the Americas was limited strictly to military roles, with agricultural labor and development reserved entirely for indigenous peoples.
  4. D
    It indicates that Garrido was introducing indigenous West African grain cultivation techniques directly from his homeland to New Spain.

Answer

The petition illustrates that some Africans in early Spanish America held the status of free conquistadors who could formally petition the Crown and lay claim to economic achievements like introducing European agriculture.
The correct statement is supported by Juan Garrido's petition, which demonstrates that free Black men (Ladinos) participated in early Spanish expeditions as conquistadors and utilized Spanish legal mechanisms, such as the *probanza*, to assert their contributions to military conquest and the introduction of European agriculture (wheat) to the Americas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source document for information regarding the author's legal and social status.
Juan Garrido identifies himself as a resident of Mexico City who participated in conquests and is petitioning the Crown directly.
This establishes that he was a free Black man acting as a conquistador, not an enslaved laborer without legal standing.
2
Examine the specific military and economic achievements claimed in the document.
Garrido participated in the conquests of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico, and was the first to plant and harvest wheat in New Spain.
This shows his active agency in both the military conquests and the agricultural development (introducing a European crop) of early Spanish America.
3
Evaluate the options to find the statement that best aligns with these historical findings and avoids common misconceptions.
The correct option correctly identifies the status of free African conquistadors and their active role in early colonization and agriculture, while the other options rely on historical errors.
This ensures the selected answer is historically accurate and directly supported by the text.

Key Concept

The active role and diverse legal statuses of Africans in early Spanish colonial expeditions prior to 1619.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Early Transatlantic Contacts and Pre-1619 African Presence

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