Question

Who did the Spanish enslave and use to take gold and silver from the mines of Mexico and Peru?

Answer 1

Gold, silver, and sugar are among the many reasons why the Spaniards enslaved Native Americans and Africans. Spaniards used these people not only to be as miners but also as craftsmen, herders, and domestic laborers. These people were forced to work for many hours but were only paid depending on the amount of gold and silver they mined. In some cases, particularly in Peru, Africans were not used to the high altitude and the cost for clothing and feeding was high. As a measure for this the Spaniards used the Native Americans to mine for them at low temperatures and higher grounds while the Africans were in Mexico panning for gold.