1. Chapter 16.2 - Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas

2. Setting the Scene: Spain was immensely proud of its rich silver mines in the Potosi region of Peru. Native Americans were forced to extract rich silver ore from dangerous shafts deep inside the Andes Mountains. Many Indians died in the terrible conditions, only to be replaced by thousands more. Scenes such as this were repeated in Mexico, the Caribbean, and other parts of Spain's empire

3. By the 1540s, tons of silver filled Spanish ships and Spain’s empire stretched from California to South America

4. Settlers and missionaries claimed the land and the people for their king and their Church

5. Spain divided their lands into five provinces - the most important being New Spain and Peru

6. The king set up the Council of the Indies to pass laws for the colonies

7. The king appointed viceroys in each province - officials and audiencias helped rule

8. The Catholic Church worked with the government to convert the Natives

9. Missionaries built mission churches and baptized thousands of Native Americans

10. Spain closely controlled economic activities, especially trade

11. Colonists could export raw materials only to Spain and could buy only Spanish made goods

12. The most valuable resources were silver and gold

13. Sugar cane was introduced into the West Indies and became a profitable resource

14. Sugar cane was grown on plantations and required large numbers of workers

15. Spain granted the conquistadors encomiendas - the right to demand labor from Native Americans

16. Natives worked under brutal conditions - those who resisted were hunted down and killed

17. Disease, starvation, and cruel treatment caused catastrophic declines in the Native population
“The Spanish treated the Indians with such rigor and inhumanity that they seemed the very ministers of Hell, driving them day and night with beatings, kicks, lashes and blows, and calling them no sweeter names than dogs… . Women who had just given birth were forced to carry burdens for the Christians and thus could not carry their infants because of the hard work and weakness of hunger. Infinite numbers of these were cast aside on the road and thus perished.”
Bartolomé De Las Casas, The Devastation of the Indies

18. Priests like Bartolome de las Casas condemned the encomienda system

19. Spain passed the New Laws of the Indies in 1542, forbidding enslavement of Native Americans

20. To fill the labor shortage, Las Casas urged colonists to import workers from Africa
The title of this engraving by Theodor de Bry reads: "The veins of gold ore having been exhausted, the Blacks had to work in sugar."

21. The demand for sugar grew and the settlers imported millions of Africans as slaves

22. A. Social Structure
At the top of society were the peninsulares followed by the Creoles

23. Mestizos - people of Native and European descent, and Mulattoes - people of African and European descent, came next
Mestizo
Mulattoe

24. Slaves Harvesting Sugarcane
Native Americans and people of African descent formed the lowest social class
Slaves Harvesting Sugarcane
In the West Indies

25. Colonial cities were centers of government, commerce, and European culture
La Plaza Mayor, Mexico City

26. Universities were built to educate young men; women were educated in convents
Convent de San Francisco TECALI,  Puebla  State 
Shield of the University of Mexico
est. 1551

27. By the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, Portugal claimed Brazil and sent settlers to build towns, plantations, and churches

28. Brazil offered no instant wealth so the Portuguese turned to plantation agriculture and cattle raising

29. To get around Spain's strict control over trade, smugglers traded illegally

30. Pirates preyed on Spanish ships and privateers operated with the approval of European governments