Encomienda is a Spanish term for “commission” or “to entrust”. In America (parts of North, Central, South America and Carribean), Christopher Columbus gave the first encomiendas to Spanish conquerors such as priests, settlers, officials such as rights to own lands in the area. The system was said to be close to slavery because (some of the reasons):
*Natives were to pay tribute by using their own lands.
*They were exposed to diseases (such as smallpox, and measles) and no resources to battle it out.
*Instead of literacy and security, conquerors made Natives to slaves by overworking them on farms and plantations.