Module 1 Flashcards

Question

Economic Activities of the Spanish Colonists G.R.A.T

Answer 1

The economic activities of the Spanish colonists in the Caribbean up to the 1600s was vital for the maintenance of the Spanish monopoly in the Americas. 1) Gold mining — The main economic activity in the initial stages of Spanish colonization in the Caribbean is gold production. The Spanish were obsessed with gold because the Spanish monarch depended greatly on gold as currency (bullionism). Indigenous labour was used predominately to mine gold. The indigenous labourers had to search for gold and other mineral wealth (silver and pearl) by risking their lives in dark deep caves. So important was gold, that Spanish settlers had to register to get licenses to mine for gold. In 1512, there was a gold rush in Hispaniola when some quantity of gold was discovered, but it was short-lived. 2) Ranching- On Columbus’s second voyage to the Caribbean, he brought with him several animals such as pigs, horses, cattle and sheep. These animals reproduced rapidly because they were larger than the indigenous animals, they had no natural predators in the region, there were no diseases in the Caribbean (such as cattle diseases that were in Europe) and they had sufficient land space and grasslands to graze. In Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, pigs and cattle multiple so rapidly that they started to run wild in the mountains. The Spanish settlers were able to create circular landholdings to keep animals. This led to the production of beef, pork and mutton which were sold to ships passing the Spanish colonies. The fats from animals also led to the production of different by-products such as lard, tallow, candles and hides, most of which was sent back to Europe 3) Trading — Spanish colonists were keen to the idea of trading in the Caribbean, and this was easy because Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico became important trading posts in the Spanish American Empire. It meant that ships passed these countries rapidly. Many small items, animal meat, manufactured goods and crops became important trades for residents in these colonies. Trading was important because it ensured that Spain received revenues in the form of trade duties, import duties and import duties. So important was trades in the Spanish Caribbean (and the Spanish Colonial Empire) that it led to the creation of the House of Trade or Casa de Contratacién in Seville in 1503 which supervised trades in the Caribbean, collected duties and act as a court in cases of trade disputes. Eventually, the Casa became a political entity in the Caribbean and developed into a supreme, advisory and executive body. 4) Agriculture — It became clear that the most profitable economic activity for the Spanish settlers was agricultural production. The colonists were restricted from planting crops that would compete with Spain in commercial enterprises such as wine, olive oil and other items. This meant that their focus was on sugar and tobacco production. Tobacco was naturally grown in the Caribbean and was used by the indigenous people and so it flourished. However, tobacco was for domestic markets at first rather than export. It was expanded by the English in the early 1600s. Columbus was the first to take sugar cane to the Caribbean from the Canary Islands (a Spanish colony on the coast of West Africa). He wrote to Queen Isabella that the Caribbean was the perfect place for sugar production because it had continuous sunshine, abundant rainfalls and water, extended land space and there were no winters. By 1518, sugarcane was widely grown in Hispaniola and several mills were made to produced sugar. By 1523, Jamaica and Puerto Rico expanded in sugar production due to the introduction of African slaves. They effectively paved the way for the plantation system in the Caribbean. The initial actions of the Spanish set-in motion a deepening economic uniformity in the Caribbean. The insistence on planting cash crops such as sugar and tobacco meant that the region developed a history of planting cash crops, and this continued with the arrival of other Europeans in the 1600s.

Answer 2

In the initial stages of creating Spanish settlements in the Caribbean, the Spanish settlers suffered a high mortality rate. This was for several reasons: 1) Attacks from the indigenous people: Many of the Spanish settlers were killed by the indigenous people who expressed outrage when they were forced to work on plantations. Several rebellions were staged by the indigenous people, Spanish men were killed by poisoning and many indigenous people left Spanish men in caves to die. 2) Heat: The Caribbean had a continuous sunny climate, and the Spanish colonists were unfamiliar with the constant heat in the region. Many died from heat strokes. 3) Diseases: Although the Spanish people took with them a host of old-world diseases that rapidly killed the indigenous people and hastened their decimation, there was evidence that they too suffered from diseases that were already in the Caribbean. Tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever affected the Spanish settlers. Other diseases such as rabies and sexual transmitted diseases (which were already in the Caribbean) also killed Spanish men. 4) Lack of health care: No establish clinics or hospitals meant that the Spanish settlers did not have access to health care and succumbed to most of their inflictions. 5) Natural disasters: The Caribbean endured powerful storms and hurricanes even in the 1500s. This was not something that the Spanish settlers were accustomed to. 6) Unfamiliar landscape: In the initial stages of Spanish exploration, many deaths occurred from being lost and stranded. If ships crashed or ran aground in unfamiliar lands, then they would starve as it was unlikely that they would be discovered. Many Spanish explorers were lost in exploring the Caribbean and South America. The Spanish settlers did not experience starvation because they relied on indigenous staple crops such as cassava, yam and com. They might have to adjust to the taste because they may not have been familiar with some, but they quickly adapt. They also brought several animals that multiplied rapidly because they had no natural predators.

Answer 3

There was a clash of culture between the Spaniards and the indigenous people the Greater Antilles. The Spanish effectively laid waste to the indigenous people and led to their destructions and genocide. During the 1500s, the indigenous people in the Greater Antilles suffered a high mortality under Spanish colonization. By the mid-1500s, the Taino population dwindled significantly: Bartolome de las Casa wrote in 1561 that, “There were 60,000 people living on this island when [ I arrived in 1508}, including the Indians; so that from 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this?’ The decimation of the indigenous people in Caribbean were due to: 1) Open warfare with the Spanish: There is ample evidence that the Taino people resisted Spanish colonization. When Columbus returned to the Caribbean in 1493, the 39 men that he left were all killed and the fort, “La Navidad” was burnt to the ground. All belongings that the Spanish men had were taken by the Taino people. It became clear to the Spanish that the indigenous people were far from passive. Warfare became necessary because many of the Spanish men wanted to force the indigenous people to work in mines and provide them with food. Since the Spanish men did not take women with them, them encroached upon indigenous women which enraged the indigenous men. Spanish friars and priests that came to the Caribbean did not care much for the indigenous people. They considered them barbaric and unchristian and actively encouraged their enslavement. There was open warfare between the Spanish and the Taino people. Columbus, however, was able to pacify them because the Taino weapons (clubs, wooden spears and bows) could not match Spanish armors and swords. The horses taken by Columbus gave them great mobility in battle. Furthermore, many of the Spanish men who came with Columbus were either skilled in warfare (from fighting the Moors) or criminals (who had no moral decorum). Warfare with the Taino people in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Cuba were particularly gruesome because Taino leaders were gathered and executed in public. Some were burnt alive. In 1503, the Spanish led a massacre in Hispaniola and in 1511, they led a massacre in Cuba. This led to the subjugation of the indigenous people. 2) Organized enslavement: Under Spanish control, the indigenous people were then forced to work on plantations planting sugarcane and other crops and in gold mines. Initially greater emphasis was placed on mining gold because of the obsession with finding mineral wealth. This was dangerous because the Tainos had to dig deep into dark caves. Some drowned from underground currents, some were lost, and some were exposed to suffocation. When it became clear that there was not much mineral wealth in the islands, labour was shift to plantations and ranching. The indigenous people were forced to work in fields, rear animals and clear dense forest areas. Organized slavery was expanded with the introduction of the encomienda system, which in theory was not a form enslavement, but in practice was. They died in great numbers because they were unfamiliar with organized labour and were severely overworked and abused. Those who refused to work were beaten, tortured, fed to bloodhounds (aggressive dogs) or killed in sports. 3) Starvation: The Taino suffered from starvation because they were unable to cultivate their own crops. The Spanish consumed most of the crops the indigenous people grew and because they were forced to work, they were unable to plant additional food for themselves. The animals that the Spanish took (cattle, sheep, pigs and horses) grazed on indigenous crop and created more incidences of starvations. Several indigenous animals became extinct because pf the introduction of new animals that reshuffled the food chain. 4) European diseases: Perhaps the greatest impact on the mortality of the indigenous people in the Caribbean were European diseases. The Europeans took with them several deadly diseases such as smallpox, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, influenza, cholera and bubonic plague. The Taino people had no natural immunity to these diseases. The Spanish men did because they were familiar with the domestication of large animals and overseas exploration to West Africa which exposed them to these diseases. Of all these diseases the most impactful was smallpox because it had an incubation period of 2 weeks and so it could circulate among the indigenous people rapidly before symptoms are visible. It is believed that a smallpox epidemic in Hispaniola in 1519 killed almost 90% of the surviving Taino. A similar outbreak of smallpox and measles killed several indigenous people in Cuba. 5) Other actions taken by the Taino: It can be argued that the resistance taken by the Taino people could have hastened their own decimation, though inevitable. Many Taino people committed suicide and infanticide in large numbers by eating poisonous plants (cassava) and consuming poisonous liquids. Many of them pined away into the mountains and died.

Answer 4

When the Spaniards arrived, they felt that the indigenous people were uncivilized and pagan. It was therefore of vital importance for these people to be socialized under the Christian faith. The idea of an organize system of work was envisioned by Christopher Columbus. The Encomienda system was based on the practice of transforming the indigenous people into Christians and during the process the Indians would have offered their services to the Spaniards. Under the encomienda system, the Indians were to be treated as subjects of the Spanish Government. In theory, the Indians were not slaves and the encomienda system was based on explicit agreement. Under the agreement, the Indians were to be paid for their services and during the process would be given rations of foods and clothing and would be taught Christian principles under the language spoken by the Spaniards. The Indians were under the Spanish jurisdiction and as such, were in the authority of the Governor, who represented the King of Spain. The governor would be the one who organized and distributed the Indians in groups. Encomiendas were given out accordingly. Each Spanish colonist was given a group of Indians and they were to work for them in the provinces given to the Spanish for two generations. That is, the Spanish was entitled to give the encomienda to their heirs. Once this was done, the Indians will be returned to the control of the governor, who then had the right to grant them to other Spanish colonists. The Queen did not take note of the activities in the Americas and the Spanish men started to ignore her rules. The Indians were beaten and forced to work for long hours on sugar and tobacco plantations, in silver and gold mines and on cattle ranches. It may be argued that this was done to an extent that the original reason for the creation of the encomienda system, which was to Christianize the Indians was ignored. When religious leaders had come to Hispaniola, for instance, it was soon discovered that the Indians were not being taught any Christian values at all. Some religious leaders did not care and also took part in the system. However, it led to friars such as Bartholomew Las Casa and Antonio de Montesinos to speak out against the system.

Answer 5

When the Spaniards had arrived in the Americas, it became increasingly clear that it was quite easy for them to enslave the Tanios. The Spaniards, therefore, offered numerous reasons why it was necessary to enslave them: (a) Historical evidence support that the Tanios were a very peaceful group of people. Most of their weapons were created for hunting and not war. When the Spaniards came with their horses and guns, it was extremely easy for the indigenous people to be forced into slavery because they were unable to protect themselves. (b) Most of the Spaniards felt that they were above planting and mining and claimed that they were Spanish of noble birth, hidalgos. It was therefore important for the Indians to work as slaves. (c) The Spaniards were well accustomed to the practice of slavery. In the Canary Islands, located off the coast of West Africa, for example, the Spanish had used enslaved Africans to plant cane. It was therefore inevitable that they would have preyed upon the weak. (d) The Spaniards had come to exploit the resources of the New World. If this were the case, then the Spaniards had the right to enslave the Indians because they were ideal human resources. The plantations needed large supply of effective human resources. (e) It was impossible for the Spanish men to transform the Indians into civilized Christians if they had their free-will. Slavery was a necessary part of the process so that the enslaved Indians were groomed into Christian practices by force.

Answer 6

In 1512, the first attempt to protect the Indians came with the Laws of Burgos which was issued on the 27 th December 1512 by Ferdinand II. It was aimed at regulating the relationship between the Spanish and the Indians and to ensure that the Indians were treated fairly. The Laws failed because the Spanish colonial leaders did not enforce them, and the King was too far away to take actions or monitor the Indians. With the help of Bartholomew Las Casa who became very sympathetic to the Indians, the New Laws were passed in 1542 by the King of Spain to regulate the Spaniards who were enslaving the Indians. The laws were still unpopular and were hardly enforced. The encomienda system was eventually replaced with the repartimiento system which was similar in practise and principle. By then, a majority of the Indians in the Caribbean had died. Las Casa encouraged the Spanish men to start import Africans in greater numbers and argued that the strength of one African was that of the strength of four Indians.

Answer 7

In 1512, the first attempt to protect the Indians came with the Laws of Burgos which was issued on the 27 th December 1512 by Ferdinand II. It was aimed at regulating the relationship between the Spanish and the Indians and to ensure that the Indians were treated fairly. The Laws failed because the Spanish colonial leaders did not enforce them, and the King was too far away to take actions or monitor the Indians. With the help of Bartholomew Las Casa who became very sympathetic to the Indians, the New Laws were passed in 1542 by the King of Spain to regulate the Spaniards who were enslaving the Indians. The laws were still unpopular and were hardly enforced. The encomienda system was eventually replaced with the repartimiento system which was similar in practice and principle. By then, a majority of the Indians in the Caribbean had died. Las Casa encouraged the Spanish men to start import Africans in greater numbers and argued that the strength of one African was that of the strength of four Indians.

Answer 8

The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the major events of Spanish Colonization of the Americas. Between 1519 and 1521, Hernan Cortes led the Spanish conquest of one of the greatest indigenous civilizations in the Americas. Cortez landed in Mexico in April of 1519. He arrived with 500 men, 16 horses and some cannons. He quickly formed a settlement at an area known as Vera Cruz.

Answer 9

1) The time which Cortez entered into Tenochtitlan was significant. Prior to his arrival, the Aztec had seen many astrological phenomena which seemed to foreshadow the collapse of the empire itself. These omens of doom ranged from a comet seen in the daytime, seeing fire in the sky, lighting striking a temple, a boiling lake to the destruction of two temples. It created a feeling of doom and helplessness among the masses. 2) In addition to these omens of doom, Cortez arrived at harvest time, when the Aztec were generally not prepared for war. Many of the warriors in Aztec society were also farmers. 3) The Totonac and Tlaxcalans helped Cortez fight the Aztecs. These local tribes told the Spanish of the problems the Aztec were having, and provided the Spanish with food, soldiers and offer them translators. 4) The Aztecs believed that the god Quetzalcoatl was going to return and destroy the Aztec empire. Quetzalcoatl was seen as a man with light hair, and light-colored skin, and it was thought by the Aztec, that Cortez was the returning Quetzalcoatl. 5) Outbreaks of epidemics also helped to weaken the Aztecs. A majority of the Aztec warriors were killed by smallpox. 6) The superior weaponry of the Spanish compared to Aztec warriors. 7) The religious ritual of human sacrifice was feared among the people of Central Mexico. First, killing thousands of people, whether they were people within their own society or from neighbouring tribes, simply could not be a good thing. The loss of people meant that their population did not grow at the level it should have. Furthermore, the extent of the sacrifices led to the hatred of some of the surrounding people (especially the Tlaxcala) who were willing to assist the Spanish. 8) Cortez was particularly motivated to conquer the Aztecs because of human sacrifice, which was seen as ungodly, evil and unnatural. 9) Montezuma’s inefficiency There was evidence that the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma Il, learnt of Cortez presence through spies. He sent Cortes gifts of gold, chocolate and food to welcome them. This only encouraged Cortes.

Answer 10

Francisco Pizarro was motivated to explore South America because of rumors of mineral wealth in the region. He was ambitious and wanted to improve his life. He made two (2) initial expeditions to South America in an attempt to find gold. In 1524, his first expedition ended in failure which saw the death of several of his men. In 1526, his second expedition was also a failure, but he was able to reach the borders of the Inca Empire. Because of his failure to find gold in South America, the Governor of Panama refused to sponsor Pizarro’s third expedition. He therefore travelled to Spain and convinced the King that he will eventually find gold. The prospect of finding gold was intriguing and so he got the support of the Spanish government and was made a governor.

Answer 11

In 1532, Pizarro returned to South America and established the settlement of San Miguel de Piura. He then started to advance towards the Inca Empire. He had with him some 175 men, horses and an ineffective cannon. On his way to the Inca Capital, he was confronted with thousands of Incan warriors. The Incans did not attack, and Pizarro was able to request audience with the Incan leader, Atahualpa. Pizarro asked that Atahualpa, to meet with him and his bodyguards unarmed, and both the Inca and Pizarro's men stood at a standstill. Accepting Pizarro's offer was the Inca's worst mistake. Pizarro knew that if he had the Emperor, he would have the entire Incan Empire, and all the gold which it held. Shortly after meeting with Pizarro, Atahualpa's gold headband was torn form his head, and with the blast of a cannon, Pizarro's men slaughtered all of the Incan warriors. Atahualpa attempted to bargain with Pizarro for his life, offering him a room filled with gold (roughly 17 feet by 22 feet by 9 feet), but shortly after Atahualpa showed Pizarro the room he was murdered. Pizarro took control over the Incan Capital, Cuzco in 1533. Pizzaro killed over 2000 Incan warriors and captured about 5000. He looted the city and by 1535, he established the city of Lima as the new capital of Peru.

Answer 12

1) Smallpox and other European diseases contributed to the diminishing Indian populations because these people were not immune to them — even so they were using religious rituals rather than medicine to treat those who were sick. There was little quarantining and mostly the warriors succumbed to the diseases. 2) There was much political disunity among the Incans. When Pizzaro arrived, the Inca Empire was in the midst of a civil war between Atahualpa and Huascar. This weakened the empire and distracted the warriors. 3) The Spanish had the advantage of horses — the Incans feared these large unfamiliar animals which gave the Spanish the advantage of height in combat. It meant that during warfare the Spanish soldiers towered over the Indians. 4) The Spanish had the advantage of superior weaponry. Arrows and wooden spears were no match for Spanish amour, muskets and cannons. 5) Atahualpa was weak and ineffective. He underestimated the Spanish when he went to meet Pizarro. He was confident that his thousands of warriors could defeat the hundreds of Spanish men.

Answer 13

1) Spanish technological superiority The conquistadores were in fact poorly equipped. Most of Cortés’ men had only swords, pikes and knives. The effectiveness of the few weapons which Cortés had (13 muskets, 10 bronze canon and 4 light canon) was significantly lessened by environmental factors. Heavy rains and several river crossings on Cortés’ march up to Tenochtitlan dampened the gun powder. This was demonstrated by the events of “La Noche Triste”, an encounter between Cortés’ men and the Aztec war machine which proved nearly fatal for the Spaniards in spite of the superior weaponry, and which forced Cortés and his men to beat a hasty retreat from the Aztec capital. 2) Use of Horses Cortés and his 508 men had a mere 16 horses at their disposal. Whereas the horse did provide some Spaniards with the benefit of mobility, very few of the conquerors were able to gain access to horses in the initial stage of the conquest. Unaccustomed as the indigenes were to horses, the initial element of surprise provided by the sight of men on horseback may have strengthened the psychological advantage held by the Spaniards However, neither the early assessment of the Spaniards as god-like figures nor the indigenous fear of the horse lasted beyond the first few weeks of contact and played no part in the decisive battles which came later. 3) Disunity within the Empires The disunity within the mainland empires certainly aided the conquest. The normally cohesive and highly centralized Incan empire would hardly have been divided by civil strife had the normal chain of command and succession not been interrupted by old world diseases.