Establishment of African Slavery in Latin America

BY: SYDNEY BIDWELL, LORIEN KAUFFMAN, TALYA BARNES

VIDEO

https://youtu.be/3NXC4Q_4JVg?t=6

Tabula Terre Nove: A map of the “new found land” created by Martin Waldseemüller in 1513.

ASIENTO SYSTEM

● The Spanish used this system to initiate and regulate the slave trade (import) to Latin America● asiento: a contract given by the Spanish Crown that giving exclusive rights in the slave trade

with the colonies in Spanish America ● specified the number of slaves delivered, which ports used, and sums and taxes paid to the

Spanish Crown● asientistas: holders of the asiento● officially developed in the 1590s, though similar systems existed since 1500s● Portugal dominated the system until their independence in 1640● Spain refused to give commercial rights to enemies or “heretics”, basically all possible commercial

partners● In 1662, Spanish revived the asiento in hopes of boosting revenue● Spain didn’t have many commercial/maritime resources or access to the African coast, so other

countries continued to dominate trade● European powers saw the asiento as a way to penetrate Spanish commerce and it became tied

with foreign policy and diplomacy● Eventually the monopoly-like nature of asiento declined and it failed in 1789

ENGLAND

● England was very late to colonization because of problems in the 1500s● Religious conflict within England between Catholics and Protestants● England was already trying to colonize Ireland in a long and costly war● There were economic challenges- the monarchy lacked wealth, crime rose, and poverty

spread● The Crown couldn’t afford to fund expeditions like in Spain, but could send privateers from

their advanced navy to plunder Spanish and other European ships carrying their wealth from the Americas

● The religious conflict resolved and England became definitively Protestant, which generated competitive feelings toward Catholic Spain and France

● The creation of Joint Stock companies, precursors to modern corporations, allowed for a wide range of investors to fund expeditions

● England was a rigidly classed society, so up to 95% was lower class, most in extreme poverty● An expansion of the poor population and major rise in crime lead to the upper class to

perceive a “surplus population” that should be sent elsewhere (like to the colonies)

SPAIN-Reasons for the transition to African slaves labor

● In Mesoamerica (Mexico and Guatemala), southern Andes and Pacific coast, Spanish could rely fully on the native american peasant population for their labor force at first.

● Spaniards exploited pre existing system of peasant labor in Mesoamerica, maintaining political and social systems already in place.

● The government of Spain disliked permanent use of the Indigenous peoples because of political, cultural, religious reasons.

● Spain had finished with enserfment/semi-free labor, and were committed to free wage-labor.● Spanish wanted to convert the Indigenous people to Christianity, and did not believe in

enslaving christians.● Also the indigenous people died off due to mistreatment and disease.● In south Guatemala, north Ecuador, Amazonian and southern Rio de la Plata interior and

eastern coastal plains there were few settled native american tribes or mineral resources, meaning that a large labor force was not needed.

● Mexico and Peru had a large Indian population, but needed new from of labor because of diseases and lack of Indians outside of major cities.

SPAIN-Reasons for the transition to African slaves labor

● Precious metals in Mexico and Peru aloud Spain to switched to African slave labor.● Past practice, racist Ideology, economic necessity, all combined to legitimize slavery for

Africans in the Spanish colonies. ● The Asiento system played a big role in slaves coming to the Spanish colonies.● 1502 was the start of many shipments of slaves to the americas.● In all the spanish colonies got around 1.5 to 2 million slaves.● An African slave force provided kinless, mobil, and easily assimilated laborers (unlike

Indians)● Often the rules and regulations protecting slaves were rarely upheld in the spanish

colonies.● The spanish did not use their own peasant labor

○ Too expensive to ship peasants from spain○ The peasant labor was to valuable for the spanish due to population growth

(around 7 million), and large armies.

THE PORTUGAL/SPAIN UNION

● In 1578 the Portuguese king died during conflict in Morocco. The former king’s granduncle became king, but died in 1580

● Portugal was left with an unstable government and no ruler. Spain invaded and the Spanish king became ruler of both countries in 1580 (Philip I of Portugal)

● Portuguese wealth decreased and the country was basically under Spanish rule from 1580-1640 (though officially an “autonomous state”)

● This degraded English/Portuguese relations because Spain was in conflict with England● There was also Dutch-Portuguese conflict from 1565-1663● in 1620s, Dutch conquered Bahia and Pernambuco, and later much of the Brazilian coast

and Dutch pirates attacked Portuguese ships● Fearing the loss of their empire, Spanish/Portuguese efforts to recapture these areas in

Brazil● After independence in 1640, Portugal was able to establish authority in Mexico and the

“Portuguese Empire”

PERU

● The viceroyalty of Peru, centered in Lima, under Spanish rule● Pizzaro brought 2.000 slaves when conquering Peru in 1530● Peru was home to the Inca civilization, meaning there was a large supply of INdian labor, but the

demand for African Labor increased later on● The major industry was silver mining in Potosí, which made Lima one of the wealthiest cities in the

world● major slave trade developed to meet demand, especially after Portuguese and Spanish unification

from 1580 to 1640- Portuguese could supply Spanish American markets● slaves initially came from Senegambia, but after development of Portuguese Luanda in the 1570s, more

from kongo and Angola

A European depiction of native people in Peru, created by John Ogilby in 1671. John Ogilby probably had never been to Peru, but made this picture based on accounts from Peru and general European views.

PERU: Slave Trade

● The slave trade route to Peru was the longest and most complex in Latin America

● Slaves in Peru usually came from Angola, Senegambia, and Sierra Leone● First African slaves crossed the Atlantic to the port of Cartagena (caribbean

coast), then to Portobello, then over land to the Pacific, then to Callao (an entry port to Lima)

● The second phase took about five months, double normal Africa-America trip● There was a 10% mortality rate on second phase, plus 15% on Atlantic route● Once in Lima, slaves were spread throughout the viceroyalty of Peru● From 1492-1900, 12-20 mill Africans were imported to Latin America, and

10-12 mill survived the middle passage and arrived in the Americas

PERU: Transition of Labor

● Early on, the spanish did not want to pay more to import African slaves for labor when they could get Indian workers to do it for free through the encomienda or “mita” system (required public service)

● The arrival of the first slaves (early 1500s) set the foundation for an Afro-latino community● At first, Africans worked in skilled tasks in mining: refining and supervising (under absentee

masters)● Transition in 1600s: assimilated natives and mestizos took over skilled labor jobs from African

slaves● Spanish owners relied on cheeper Indian workers for non-skilled labor (coerced but not chattel

slaves), then Indian population declined, and they transitioned to African slaves● The Spaniards first mined in the lowlands then spread to the highland areas- Indian population

especially suffered in lowlands- plantations there increased demand for labor

PERU: Labor Distribution● At first, there more African slaves in urban areas, but they spread out as more rural jobs were

created● Indian free labor was mostly used for silver and mercury mining in Peru● Gold was mined in parts of the southern Andes, farther from Indian populations, so African

slaves took up most of the gold mining labor force● Ranching European animals was done by African slaves (except sheep, herded by Indians)● African slaves worked in communications across the viceroyalty, as muleteers and seemen● At the start of 17th cent, the royal navy employed 900 black slaves, but they did not do galley

rowing (a criminal occupation)● African slaves were most active in skilled trades in the cities: metalworking, clothing,

construction, supplies, and crafts like silversmithing and printing● Semi Skilled labor African slaves worked in included coastal fishing, porters, vendors,

food-handling and processing, and armed watchmen● There was usually a mix of labor on construction sites: free blacks, slaves, white masters and

indians

PERU: Plantations

● African labor also used in agriculture, with small families of slaves working on chacras (plantations) on the edges of cities like Lima

● Seasonal Indian workers harvested vegetable gardens, orchards, and small grain-producing farms

● Larger agricultural areas on the coast included sugar estates, vineyards, mixed agricultural plantations

● A defining factor of agriculture in Peru is that the plantations produced a mix of crops● Generally forty slaves per plantation, but the number could reach 100● 20,000 slaves overall for wine/sugar plantations in 17th cent● Jesuit slave plantations emerged throughout Peru after 1600● Interior plantations were also small and produced a mix of products for Peruvian and

Pacific coast trade

PERU: Factories

● Labor systems developed for the rising number of factories in Peru

● Obrajes: textile-dyeing, spinning, finishing factories which produced low quality, high quantity

of clothing. These were worked by mostly Indian labor, and sometimes free colored people

● There were 18 hat factories in Lima in 1630 with 40-100 African slaves per company

● Slaves were also employed in tanning works, slaughterhouses, kilns, and quarries making

construction materials for Lima

● Eventually, all public institutions (charities, hospitals, monasteries) had a small group of slaves

for maintenance

PERU: Growth of the African Population

● Most cities had 10-15% local black population by 1600, and kept rising● The slave population in Lima grew with the city (4,000 in 1586- 7,000 in 1590s-11,000 in

1614-20,000 by 1640)● The African slave population grew faster than the urban white and indian population, so by

late 16th-17th cent, Lima was half black● The African population made up half of the northern, central Andean coastal, and interior

cities by 1600● Further south, there was a smaller African population and larger Indian population, but could

African slaves be found in the thousands in Cuzco and Potosí (6,000 blacks and mulattoes in 1611)

PERU: Slave Ownership

● Slave ownership systems in Peru became the model for most of Latin America● Slave rentals were as common as ownership: owners would rent out their slaves as

skilled artisans● Skilled and semi-skilled slaves would often just rent themselves for a fixed monthly

income, and payed their own expenses● jornalero: like a freelance worker, a possible option for urban slaves● Unskilled slaves were rented to free people who paid wages and maintenance fees● slaves became a mobile and adjustable labor force● The crown often called hundreds of unskilled and skilled workers in emergencies to

fortifications, shipyards, and fleets, almost all of them rented from private owners

PERU: Freed Slave Workers

● Self-purchase and slaves freed by masters led to a large population of free African and mulatto people, who actively participated in the labor system

● Manumission wasn’t favored or restricted, and there was no pressure for free fathers to free or recognise their children.

● Peruvian labor was characterized by the mix of free and enslaved black and mulatto workers● Free African and mulatto workers existed in South America from the beginning of colonization● These free workers were racially discriminated against, but still worked at all levels of society

because the need for labor was so great● Free blacks could not hold office, become priests, or join guilds● Free blacks and mulattoes were much more commonly found in convicted labor than other groups● Their wages varied from as much as white workers or less than (rental fees) for slaves● Free black and mulatto workers held very high positions in construction and shipping as shipmasters,

architects, master carpenters, and builders● The percentage of free among black and mulatto population rose throughout the 17th cent, especially

after 1650 mining crisis and slowing of African importation

PERU: Society and Social Mobility

● Free and slave africans could have master status in several trades, and represented the majority of masters in tailoring and shoe making (but this was not normal for all crafts)

● Still, in Peru and elsewhere, Capitalism was constrained by racial prejudice● Coastal Peru was densely populated with Africans (30% of lowland pop),

indigenous populations mostly in the highlands● Slave experience differed in urban/rural areas- urban slaves: skilled laborers

or domestic workers with more social mobility● rural slaves: usually lived and worked on a plantation, harsh conditions with a

rigid social status

PERU: Racial Relations● The Amerindians saw the Africans as outsiders, just like the Spanish.● However, they interacted in mine labor and sometimes intermarried● Interaction and shared experience over generations created “Afro-Peruvian” identity● Sometimes there were joint African and Native rebellions later on like uprisings in

Vilcabamba in south Cuzco in 1602- Indian man Francisco Chichima led 2,000 slaves and natives against Spanish but were unsuccessful

● Africans faced prejudice and legal restrictions● At first they had status above natives, but then laws became more restrictive● The Spanish made laws to prevent joint uprising by outlawing mixed-race mining

crews in 1688, and African descended caciques (native headmen)● “whiteness” was prized and mixing of non-whites frowned upon● Wealth allowed for more mobility. Slaves could buy their freedom and wealthy

non-whites could even buy certificates to become legally white● At the end of Peru slavery, African population combined with dominant indigenous

and mestizo populations creating a blend of art, language, and religious traditions

MEXICO

● Viceroyalty of Mexico- second major region of slave importation.● The Aztec empire conquered by the Spaniards was made up of densely populated

autonomous states- Cortes allied with rebellious groups to conquer the whole region.● Cortes enslaved the native population, even though there were already laws against the

natives enslavement.● Like most spanish colonies mexico realized the need for African slaves.● Slaves mainly worked in sugar and European crop plantations in spread out, warm low-land

regions in the central area of the viceroyalty.● Small sugar estates, about forty slaves per plantation.● African slave labor was used in the silver mines, most slaves were used in various tasks

around the mine.● In 1570, 3,700 African slaves in mining camps, 2 times the number of spanish, slightly less

than the Natives.● African slaves 45% of labor force.

MEXICO

● In Mexico the use of african slaves did not last as long or make as much of an impact.● As free Indian labor migrated to the area, it lessened the need for more expensive African

slave labor.● Slave labor demographic changed over time: by 1590s, African slaves ⅕ of labor force and

took less dangerous above ground jobs.● Slaves worked more in textile obrajes, during controversy on whether to allow Indian labor.● Native american labor become more appealing due to a change in complex regional variations

between ethnic groups made the Indian population much more responsive, mobile, and propertyless.

● Mexico developed a large population, with a slow rate of growth, meaning less extreme demand for slave labor

● In both Peru and Mexico, the 1650s were the end of major slave importation.

“Hernando Cortés and the Spanish Soldiers Confront the Indians” from The HIstory of the Indies of New

Spain written by Fray Diego Durán in 1585

A cross made in Latin America around 1650, with gold from Mexico and other minerals from Latin America. This is an example of a blend of Amerindian and European metalworking techniques and cultures that blended in the 17th century.

PORTUGAL

● Smaller population (less than 1 million)● They ran a large African and Asian trading network● At first colonizing Brazil was not very important to the Portuguese

○ They had wealth from trade with Asia, the Spice islands, and India already○ Simply discovered Brazil on the way to the East Indies

● Brazil’s only export was dyewoods, not as important to Portuguese as gold, slaves, ivory, and spices from Asia and Africa-- not priority for labor markets

● Even more stringent on peasant labor, kept the laborers for their homeland country as they didn’t have enough for their colonies

● Portuguese less constrained from enslaving indians, government was not against it● Less successful with American Indian labor than Spanish.

BRAZIL

● Considered “marginal lands” at first ○ No stable Indian peasant populations ○ No exports such as precious metals○ Only commercial export was dye-woods (Brazilwood trees)

● Initially, no permanent Portuguese settlers, but society made up of castaways, marginal Portuguese, as well as local Tupi-Guarani-speaking Indian groups along the coast

● Brazil stayed under the radar for the next 20 years of exploration● This changed when merchants from France and Britain competed with Portugal for control of

Brazil and the dye-woods, establishing colonies and attacking Portuguese ships● The European rivalry and prospect of losing their American foothold motivated Portugal to

fully colonize and exploit Brazil ● Brazil needed to find a more profitable export than dye-wood, so turned to producing sugar

with the Atlantic model

BRAZIL: Why They Did Not Use Amerindian Slaves

● Portuguese tried converting the Indians and paying them, but mainly used as chattel slaves● 1540-1570, Indian slaves mainly produced sugar in Brazil and made up ⅘ of the labor force● The Portuguese colonizers in Brazil did not continue using Amerindians for slave labor

because:○ Indians in Brazil were more susceptible to European diseases○ There weren’t as many of them ○ Less adaptable to systematic agriculture

● When the Portuguese colonizers tried to utilize the natives for labor they ended up quickly dying off from Old World diseases and also fleeing into the unnavigated interior of Brazil

● In addition, the Portuguese also had connections to the Atlantic Slave Trade since the 1450’s, resulting in them using African slaves as their labor force instead.

BRAZIL: African Slaves

● Portugal dominated the Atlantic slave trade at the time, so they were able to import slaves to Brazil for a low cost

● African slaves had more skills because of their experience with agricultural and iron working culture, and were more resilient to European diseases because they were endemic, and they already had contact with them

● Indian slaves gradually disappeared and by 1620s most sugar plantations had all black labor● The sugar plantations in Brazil were entirely dependent on African slave labor ● African slaves began to be brought to Brazil in 1530● African slave labor was used until 1888, over three centuries after it began, as during those

three centuries 4-5 million African slaves were brought to Brazil○ This was 4x any other destination for the delivery of African slaves○ Brazil got 40% of the slaves shipped from Africa to the Americas (Comparatively the

US only received 10%)

Slides

Lorien: 2-4, 7-20

Talya : 5-6, 20-23

Sydney: 24-28