Question

During the Middle Ages, many European kingdoms created systems of power and labor such as feudal societies and manors. How were similar systems in Spanish colonies — viceroyalties and haciendas — similar to and different from feudal societies and manors?

Answer 1

Both feudal societies and viceroyalties were hierarchical systems that granted privileges to those at the top in exchange for loyalty and service. Both systems also relied on a class of non-noble people to provide labor, with serfs in feudal societies and peasants in viceroyalties. However, there were some key differences between the two systems. Feudal societies were based on a system of land ownership and the exchange of land for military service, while viceroyalties were based on a system of direct rule by a representative of the Spanish monarchy. Manors, on the other hand, were self-sufficient agricultural estates that relied on the labor of peasants, but were not part of a larger feudal system like in Europe. Haciendas were similar to manors in that they were large estates that relied on the labor of peasants, but they were found in the Spanish colonies in the Americas rather than in Europe.