Question

What was Spain’s stated intention behind introducing the encomienda system in the New World? A. to introduce the natives to European farming methods B. to provide for the natives and spread Christianity C. to claim the native villages as Spanish territories D. to fairly allocate native slaves to the Spanish settlers E. to ensure that the natives remained economically dependent

Answer 1

Spain justificated the encomienda system claiming it was a way to provide for the natives and to spread Christianity (B).

Although having also used slave labor from Africans, the main labor used on Spanish colonization of the Americas was indigenous peoples forced labor. Encomienda was a right to the forced labor of a group of natives provided by the monarch to the settler. The settler, in his turn, should provide for the workers and teach them the Christian faith.