Final answer:
The encomienda system inflicted severe exploitation and forced labor on Native Americans in Spanish American colonies, contributing to societal stratification and racial hierarchies. Bartolomé de Las Casas' advocacy led to reforms and the eventual abolition of the system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The encomienda system had a profound impact on American society, particularly in the regions that were once part of the Spanish American colonies. Originating from the Spanish word 'encomendar', meaning 'to entrust', the system was designed to assign Native American laborers to Spanish settlers, who in return were supposed to protect, educate, and Christianize them. However, in practice, the encomienda system was marked by severe exploitation and forced labor, resemblant of slavery, which caused significant suffering among indigenous populations.
The system became the dominant source of labor in Spanish American colonies, in areas now known as Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Mexico, and a large part of South America. Spanish officials and conquistadors used the encomienda system to force Native Americans to work in mines and on plantations, often under brutal conditions. Sugar cane plantations, in particular, were highly dependent on this forced labor for profitability, as they were labor-intensive enterprises.
Bartolomé de Las Casas, once an encomendero himself, became a notably vocal opponent of the system after witnessing the brutality towards native peoples. His advocacy led to the New Laws, which aimed to abolish the encomienda system and prevent further abuses. Despite such efforts, the long-lasting effects of the encomienda system contributed to the stratification of society and the establishment of racial and social hierarchies that persisted long after the system's formal end.