Question

So many African slaves died under Spanish rule (the encomienda system) that the colonists started importing Native Americans in 1517. True or False?

Answer 1

The idea that the colonists started importing Native Americans due to the high death rate of African slaves under Spanish rule (the encomienda system) in 1517 is false. African slaves were brought to the Spanish colonies in South America, not the North American mainland, mostly Mexico. The failure to use Indigenous peoples as laborers was due to their large numbers dying from infectious diseases.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that so many African slaves died under Spanish rule (the encomienda system) that the colonists started importing Native Americans in 1517 is false. While it is true that many enslaved Africans were brought to the Spanish colonies in South America to work on sugar plantations, relatively few went to the North American mainland, mostly Mexico. The reason for this was not because of the high death rate of African slaves, but rather because efforts to use enslaved Indigenous peoples as laborers failed due to their large numbers dying from infectious diseases.

Answer 2

The statement `So many African slaves died under Spanish rule (the encomienda system) that the colonists started importing Native Americans in 1517` is TRUE

Step-by-step explanation:

True, many African slaves died under Spanish rule through the encomienda system in the early 1500s. The encomienda system was a forced labor system where indigenous peoples were initially used for labor, but their population declined rapidly due to diseases and harsh conditions. As a result, the Spanish colonists began importing African slaves to replace the indigenous labor force.

By 1517, the Spanish colonists had started importing Native Americans as well, as there were not enough indigenous people to meet the demands for physical labor involved in exploiting the natural wealth of the continent. This was due to the declining indigenous population and the need for a consistent and plentiful labor supply.