Economy
Between the mines and the haciendas, it is little wonder that the economic output of the New World was booming. The real boom happened when Magellan's expedition provided a sea route around the world in the 1520s. This provided the footwork for connecting the world into one giant economy. Spain mined enough silver to cause runaway inflation in China from the sheer amount of silks being purchased, while sugar was transformed from a treat for the super wealthy to something that members of the middle class would possess in their cupboards. However, this economic growth benefitted only those people at the very top of society. Forced laborers in mines or at the haciendas saw little benefit from their work. In fact, it was considered more cost efficient to simply buy new workers after their predecessors had died than actually care for their well-being in the first place.
With so many rich people, especially so many wealthy Spaniards, some of that wealth would ultimately have to return to Europe. As it all had to move by ship, this led to a rapid increase in incidents of piracy, especially against Spain and Portugal. As the ships of these nations often carried vast sums of treasure, they were easy targets for fast-moving pirate ships. Additionally, even though national navies remained minuscule during this period, some countries, especially England, started to grant permission for pirates to attack the merchant shipping of their enemies during war. These permissions, known as letters of marque, would lead to greater tension between the wealthiest powers in Europe, such as Portugal and Spain, and the up and coming powers, namely England, France, and Holland. Among the most famous of these so-called pirates was Francis Drake, who would be knighted by the English, but considered a criminal by the Spanish.
Religion
In order to justify their actions towards the natives, as well as further condemn the action of the pirates, the Spanish especially turned to religion to play a role in their actions in the New World. In fact, this began from the very first words said when a Spanish explorer encountered a new culture. The explorer would have a member of the clergy read the Requerimiento, a text written in very ornate Spanish that gave the natives the choice of either converting to Catholicism and living amongst the Spanish as almost equals, or of facing war and destruction.
As practically no natives present would have understood Spanish, much less the technical language of the document, this is obviously an attempt to justify later actions. Of special note is the fact that the Requerimiento demands adherence to Catholicism. By this time, many of the pirates attacking Spanish shipping were Protestants from Northwestern Europe, and therefore, deserved special mention to justify special punishment, namely execution.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, we looked at the efforts of the Spanish and Portuguese to establish rule in Central and South America. We saw the huge impact on society that the arrival of the Europeans had on native cultures, most notably through the spread of disease. We talked about how the Spanish and the Portuguese set up very segmented societies, with pure-blood Europeans at the top, that discriminated heavily against people who weren't European. This was all done to serve a massive economy, built off the work of forced labor, but one that nonetheless produced massive amounts of silver and sugar. Such wealth attracted pirates, especially those urged to attack by Northwestern European countries, like England or Holland. Ultimately, the Spanish, especially, would use faith to justify their actions, both with respect to the Requerimiento and the execution of Protestant pirates.
Learning Outcomes
As you complete this lesson, discover whether you can:
- Comprehend the impact that European arrival had on native Central and South Americans
- Understand the implications of segmented societies and forced labor
- Discuss the actions of pirates in the early Central and South American colonies
- Display knowledge of the Spaniards' use of religion to justify their actions in the early colonies
