The Indigenous people were often forced to walk for days with heavy loads to be delivered to their encomendero. The lands were run by cruel overseers and Native chieftains who often demanded extra tribute themselves, making the lives of the Indigenous people even more miserable.
Ancestor of Triangle or Slave trade. ... Cause & Effect: The cause of the Encomienda system was the Spanish crown offering land and Indian slaves to conquistadors going to the new world. The effect was heavy depopulation of Indians from brutality and disease leading into African slaves becoming a new labor force.