Spanish and Portuguese
Colonies in the Americas
Mr. Mitchell’s C.P. World History Class
South
America



Representative who
ruled one of Spain’s
provinces in the
Americas in the King’s
name
Worker forced to labor
for a landlord in order
to pay off a debt
Pirate
VICEROY/ PEON/
PRIVATEER
*Winning Souls
for Christianity
*To the Spanish, what goal
was as important as gaining
land in the Americas?
TO THE SPANISH, ANOTHER ONE OF THE MAIN
GOALS THAT WAS AS IMPORTANT AS GAINING
LAND IN THE AMERICAS WAS WINNING SOULS
FOR CHRISTIANITY


Catholic Missionaries
such as Dominicans,
Franciscans, and Jesuits
spread all over Latin
America
Missionaries would
eventually make religious
missions for Native
Americans – where they
could convert, teach
trades and encoura
More on Religion
Missionaries wanted to
control the lives of the
Native Americans – and
help Destroy their past
making them loyal to the
crown
The Catholic Church would
build cathedrals, hospitals
and schools
These schools gave Native
American students a basic
European Education which
included teaching them
Spanish or Portuguese and
also truly pushing a
religious education
Who was Bartolome de las Casas?
What did he do?
 Christian Priest that was
against Native American
Slavery
 He condemned the evils
of encomienda system–
but promoted African
Slavery
 He detailed the horrors
of what the Spanish were
doing to the Native
Americans
WHY DID LAS CASAS URGE COLONISTS
TO IMPORT SLAVES FROM AFRICA?
To fill the labor
shortage and they
were immune to
tropical diseases along
with their skills in
farming, mining and
metal working
Relation between Plantation and
Encomiendas
• Plantations were large
estates run by an
owner and worked by
laborers
• To make plantations
successful, monarchs
granted conquistadors
encomiendas which
gave them the right to
demand labor or
tribute from Native
Americans
Scenes of Spanish Treatment of Native
Americans
In return for Native American services –
Landowners were expected to protect them
and ensure their growth in Catholicism
 In Peru, the Mita system – which was a
system that allowed authorities to draft
Native Americans to work in silver mines

More on Encomiendas
EXAMPLE OF AN ENCOMIENDA - POTOSI
Potosi in the 16th century
Potosi -- Today
MORE ON ENCOMIENDAS - 2
This labor
structure would
help contribute to a
drastic decline in
Native American
Population – which
led to a growth in
African Slavery
More on Encomiendas -- 3
• Spain and Portugal begin trading in other
materials – such as tobacco, sugar,
diamonds, and animal hides
▫ Over time – Britain and France would
eventually corner the market on those
goods with their colonies in the Caribbean
IDENTIFY THESE TERMS – PENINSULAR, CREOLE,
MESTIZO, AND MULATTO – HOW ARE THEY ARRANGED
IN THE SPANISH AMERICAN SOCIAL ORDER?

Top – Peninsular – Direct citizens from Spain


Second – Creole – American-born descendants of Spanish
settlers



Resented peninsulares – and believed all of the groups under them
were inferior
Next – Mestizo – Native Americans and Euro descent


Their name stemmed from the Iberian Peninsula – They held all of
the important government positions
Grew in status with their numbers over time.
Mulatto – Last – European and African descent
Native Americans – Africans are below the Social Structure
Who was Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz?
 Entered a
convent at the
age of 16 – there
she devoted
herself to the
study and
writing of poetry
 She earned a
reputation as
one of the
greatest poets
ever to write in
the Spanish
Language
Settlers learned Native American Styles of
Building
 Ate Foods native to the Americas
 Traveled in Native American Style Canoes
 Native American Art influenced the new settlers
 Settlers taught religion to the Native Americans
 Settlers introduced animals, especially the horse
 Africans added to this cultural mix with their
farming methods, cooking styles and cropsalong with their drama, dance and songs

Over time how would culture
emerge in Brazil?
O A NEW CULTURE
EMERGED IN BRAZIL
THAT BLENDED
EUROPEAN NATIVE
AMERICAN AND
AFRICAN PATTERNS
O European culture
dominated the upper
and middle classes
O Native American and
African influences
impacted the rest of
society