Question

What is a characteristic of the encomienda system? a) It promoted the fair treatment of indigenous peoples. b) Encomenderos were required to pay fair wages to laborers. c) The system was a form of forced labor and exploitation. d) Indigenous people had equal rights under this system.

Answer 1

The encomienda system during Spanish colonization was a form of forced labor and exploitation, with encomenderos often indulging in severe mistreatment of Indigenous people.

Step-by-step explanation:

A characteristic of the encomienda system is c) The system was a form of forced labor and exploitation. This system, used during Spanish colonization, allowed encomenderos (Spanish grantees) to demand labor from the Indigenous people of a given area. While theoretically the encomenderos were supposed to provide guidance and education to the Indigenous people, the encomienda system was often marked by extreme exploitation and severe working conditions, in many cases amounting to actual slavery. Noted figures such as Bartolomé de Las Casas actively spoke out against these abuses.

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