Similarities/Differences between the Spanish Encomienda System and the British slave System?

Question

What are some differences and some Similarities between the Spanish Encomienda System and the British slave System?

@ Wiseone: Sure there is deifferences. Some let them practice their faith, some don't for example.

Answer 1

Importation of slaves is the biggest difference. The British normally imported slaves from Africa to its colonies and it was a vital part of the trade triangle that fueled the British Economy. The Spanish normally did not import many slaves, instead it relied on the native peoples for their source of slaves.

It's been a few years since I had a Latin American history class, but something tells makes me want to say that slaves in Latin America were also somehow tied to the estates in very much the same way serfs were tied to thier lords' manors under the fuedal system in Europe. I don't think a Spanish land grant holder could just go and buy more Indians if all of his died in a silver mine. If the landlord lost his charter, he couldn't take his indians, buildings, mines or anything else with him. It went to the next charter holder. Under the British system, slaves could be traded like any other properties for goods or money. They were private property not owned by the Crown. Essentially, all Spanish slaves were property of the Crown as the estates were granted by the King through the Viceroy (usually) and were not really private property.

Similarities outweigh differences. Both under the British system and the Spanish system, slaves suffered long hours of work under harsh conditions. They had no rights. Corporal punishment was not uncommon in either system, however British owners were less likely to beat a slave to death because the slave would have to be replaced with a newly purchased slave. Under the Spanish system slaves were regularly beaten or worked to death as a steady supply of fresh workers was always handy in local villages, and were free of charge for the most part.

Remnants of the Encomienda system can still be found in practice today. Slavery of some sort continued under the land use systems that followed the Encomienda. They were only slightly different and peasants continued to be forced into labor through the 19th century. Such is the case in many places today where drug cartels frequently impress farmers and villagers into growing and refining narcotics. The lasting reprucussions in former British colonies are much less grim. While decendents of African exported slaves may still face racism in parts of the United States, they have political and economic freedom. What they choose to do with it is a subject for another question. Throughout the Caribbean, former slaves make up the majority of the population and face little or no social injustice. Exceptions exist always, but it is not the norm.

One notable exception is the British policy in its former African colonies and Australia. I know slavery was abolished in the British Commonwealth by the early 19th century and large scale colonization of southern Africa and Australia began to take place around the same period. I have no idea how the British legally managed the native populations when it came to slave labor or labor akin to slavery.

Answer 2

Encomienda System In The Caribbean

Answer 3

The similarity of the Encomienda System and British slave system is treatment of the slaves----harsh, unjust, and inhumane.

The differences would be the trust law and the feudal institutions. (I am not sure)

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I am from Thailand. We also had slave system in my country. The slaves are the poor who did not have properties and had to subservient to the rich. The treatment of slavery in Thailand are also harsh and inhumane. It took over 30 years to free the all slaves in Thailand. With the intelligence of The king Rama V---we did not have war and no one dead during the emancipation era.

Answer 4

No difference slavery is slavery no matter where it is.