History of the United States I / Unit 2 USH1 0176 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Encomienda
Captions available
The idea
The encomienda granted conquistadors legal rights to native labour. It was conceived as reciprocal, labour in exchange for Christian conversion.
In practice
Some indigenous allies receiving encomiendas too, including the Tlaxcalan and Malintzin.
Where people slip
In practice the anchor says Spaniards ruthlessly exploited it, seeing native people as little more than beasts of burden.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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