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Difficulty: MediumSpanish Encomienda and Labor Systems

"Because of the excessive liberty that has been given to the Indians, they flee from communication and company with the Christians... so that they do not want to work and wander about. You, our Governor, are to compel and urge the said Indians to deal and associate with the Christians... and to work in their buildings, and to gather and mine gold and other metals... and you are to pay to each one, on the day that he works, the wage and maintenance that you think they should have... and you are to see to it that the said Indians are well treated, and that those who are Christianized are better treated than the others."

— Royal Instructions to Governor Nicolás de Ovando, 1503

Which of the following goals of the Spanish Crown in the early sixteenth century is best reflected in the royal instructions in the excerpt?

  1. The extraction of wealth through the coerced labor of Indigenous populations under royal authorization.Answer
  2. B
    The creation of permanent private land grants that gave conquistadors absolute ownership of the territory.
  3. C
    The forced cultivation of agricultural crops like maize and potatoes that Spanish settlers introduced from Europe.
  4. D
    The organization of Indigenous laborers into a system of voluntary indentured servitude that carried the same lifelong, hereditary legal status as chattel slavery.

Answer

The extraction of wealth through the coerced labor of Indigenous populations under royal authorization.
The royal instructions authorized Spanish governors to compel Indigenous peoples to perform labor, particularly in mining gold and constructing buildings, which became the foundation of the encomienda system. This system aimed to extract wealth for the Spanish Crown while maintaining control through royal supervision.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document for key terms and context.
The document is a set of royal instructions from 1503 to Nicolás de Ovando, the Governor of Hispaniola, directing him to compel Indigenous peoples to work, mine gold, and build, while paying them wages.
Understanding the source and context allows for the identification of the specific labor policy being described.
2
Link the details in the text to Spanish colonial labor systems.
The description of compelling Indigenous people to work and mine gold under royal command describes the origins and structure of the encomienda system.
This step connects the primary source to the relevant historical concept (the encomienda system).
3
Evaluate the options to identify which goal is best represented by this system.
The encomienda system primarily served to extract valuable resources like gold by exploiting Indigenous labor under the authority of the Spanish Crown.
Selecting the correct choice requires aligning the historical reality of the encomienda system with the options provided.

Key Concept

Spanish Encomienda and Labor Systems
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Spanish Encomienda and Labor Systems

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