During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish managed their American colonial empire through the encomienda system, which was a form of indentured servitude where indigenous people were assigned to a Spanish encomendero who was responsible for their protection, religious conversion, and language instruction.
One specific way in which the Spanish managed their American colonial empire during the 15th and 16th centuries was through the institution of the encomienda system. This system was essentially a form of indentured servitude in which the Spanish Crown granted a person (the encomendero) a specified number of indigenous people from a specific community or geographic area. In exchange, the encomendero was expected to protect these indigenous people, convert them to Catholicism, and teach them the Spanish language. However, in practice, this system often resulted in the exploitation and maltreatment of the indigenous people, which was a significant aspect of Spanish colonial policy.
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