Essay About Different Needs And Different Challenges

Slavery in Latin America
Essay title: Slavery in Latin America

Slavery in the Americas was quite diverse. Mining operations in the tropics experienced
different needs and suffered different challenges than did plantations in more temperate areas of
Norther Brazil or costal citys serving as ports for the exporting of commodities produced on the
backs of the enslaved peoples from the African continent. This essay will look at these different
situations and explore the factors that determined the treatment of slaves, the consequences of
that treatment, and the conditions that lead to resistance by the slaves working in their various
capacities.
After the initial conquest of Mexico and South America it was time to develop the
economy and export the resources that would benefit the monarchy back home in Spain and
Portugal. Silver and Gold were two such commodities. Silver mines in Northern Mexico were
supervised by blacks who directed the Indians in the arduous task of extracting the precious
metal. Gold in Central Mexico was also mined by blacks. The Gold mining regions were hot,
tropical, isolated areas of the jungle. The regions were sparsely populated and it was difficult to
keep the locals as a work force. The introduction of disease in the tropics made these areas
death zones to the indigenous people as they had no resistance to the virulent plagues. There was
a need to get cheap or free labor that would be capable of resisting the disease and who would be
easier to dominate than the locals who could run off and establish themselves elsewhere
relatively easily. The natural answer was to obtain slaves from the African continent. The slave
trade was already in operation on the African continent. Coastal cities there often enslaved
inland peoples so it was not difficult to obtain the stock and export them to the Americas.
Slaves in the mining regions were subject to harsh, isolated conditions. There were few
females and little or no community amongst the slaves. Some of the workers did have access to
money and as a result could negotiate there freedom for a price. In 1732 1/3 of the African
population of Choco was free as a result. Less fortunate slaves who found the conditions
unbearable fled to even more isolated areas of the back country to survive on their own or in
small colonies.
The Sugar plantations of Northern Brazil were a major client of the slave trade. The
more temperate climate made of better environmental conditions for the blacks but the work was
hard and after working for the plantation the slaves had to work a spot of land for their own
sustenance as well. They could sell what they produced and this gave them money with which to
effect manumissions. The plantation life had a hierarchy that separated the slaves into three
levels with value attached to each one. The lowest level of the hierarchy was the “Bozal.”
These were slave born on the African continent with little or no acculturation with the Spaniards
and Portuguese
who enslaved them. They were of the least value as the least skilled and plenty
there were plenty more where they came from. Though they were not completely disposable
they were of the least consequence should they die or run off.
Next up the pecking order were the “Ladino.” These slaves had more time in country
and had developed skills useful to the plantation owner. They were often in working positions
of a bit higher value as well.
The top of the chain were the “Criollo.” These