European Colonization of America
An encomendero received compensation for services rendered to the Crown, often in the form of taxes or labor from the indigenous population.
Portuguese, French, and English Colonization
Portuguese Colonization
The Portuguese colonization of America began motivated by economic and strategic reasons. On the economic side, because of the decline in profits from trade with the East and the commercial possibilities of Brazilwood, the bark of which produced a red dye used for coloring textiles. On the strategic side, fearing a French or Spanish invasion into their territory. In 1530, the Portuguese crown sent Martim Afonso de Sousa to drive the French from the coast of Brazil, as this was land that belonged to Portugal since 1500, when the Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral had stepped on those territories.
English Colonization
Before the arrival of the English to Latin America, Indigenous civilizations had solid structures that had been forged over many years. For the British, the inhabitants of these civilizations were not considered human. Driven by dreams of gold and glory, a new type of European emerged: the Anglo-Saxon settler. This new figure represented the largest reference of power over subject peoples, as most people were spectators of the ongoing massacres in what would become the United States.
French Colonization
The French colonization processes began in the early seventeenth century. During the previous century, the French had tried unsuccessfully to settle in North American territory and, despite the difficulties, during the sixteenth century, French fishing vessels regularly visited the North Atlantic coast of the continent. This was motivated primarily by the demand for fur in European markets and, therefore, French merchants began a lucrative trade with Indigenous Americans.
Reasons for Spanish Superiority
Spanish rule was imposed more quickly in indigenous societies that had large centralized governments and social differentiation, as they were used to organized labor. In contrast, indigenous communities without centralized power, living in remote or difficult-to-access areas, offered greater resistance. The technological superiority of firearms and the use of the horse, offering mobility and terrorizing the Indians, worked in favor of the conquerors, who also took advantage of internal problems. Another factor was religious beliefs, as in the case of the Aztecs, who regarded the Spanish as gods who had returned to their lands after a long exile.
Indigenous Demographic Decline
Most researchers believe that the 25 million living in the central regions of Mexico upon the arrival of Cortés were reduced to 1,000,000 individuals in the early seventeenth century. Among the reasons for this demographic catastrophe, historians say that in 75% of cases, this disaster was caused by contagious diseases. Indigenous populations had no defenses against these germs. This, combined with malnutrition, forced labor, and the spread of alcoholism, contributed to breaking the link between individuals and their communities.
Spanish Trade Monopoly
To control trade with its colonies, Spain organized the so-called fleet and galleon system. This system involved organizing large expeditions of commercial ships guarded by warships to prevent attacks by pirates and privateers. A single port in Spain, home to the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade), served as the sole point of entry and exit for the fleet, which sailed to America twice a year. The fleet could only embark and disembark goods at a few designated ports, typically those serving metal-producing areas or agricultural regions. Spain’s purpose failed miserably. The Spanish were unable to exclusively collect taxes on imports and exports. Those responsible for this failure included pirates, privateers, and smugglers, but also the Spanish state itself.