Question

What was the system that gave the Spanish settlers the right to use the Native Americans as laborers on their land?

1) Encomienda system
2) Hacienda system
3) Feudal system
4) Plantation system

Answer 1

The encomienda system granted Spanish settlers the right to use Native Americans as laborers on their land, with the encomendero having total control over the workers. This system was often exploitative and resembled slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The encomienda system was the system that gave the Spanish settlers the right to use Native Americans as laborers on their land. This system involved a grant from the King of Spain to an individual mine or plantation owner, known as an encomendero, who had total control over the Native American workers. The encomendero could demand labor from the Indigenous people in exchange for protection and Christian instruction. However, the encomienda system was often exploitative and difficult to distinguish from slavery.