Caste, Slavery and Independence | Assignment

Running head: CASTE, SLAVERY AND INDEPENDENCE
CASTE, SLAVERY AND INDEPENDENCE
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1
CASTE, SLAVERY AND INDEPENDENCE
Response to Question 1
Spain and Portugal ruled Latin America for three centuries. Despite resistance to
exploitation, the social evil of slavery and the caste system were influential in the 1800s.
Latin America always faced the hierarchy of race which resulted in continuous conquests
were being made. During the first invasion of Spain who comes to the Caribbean to extract
gold ked to the annihilation of the Arawaks. Soon there was a demand for silver in Spanish
America where indigenous people were hired as slaves to work in the mines of Potosi
(Chasteen 56). Mines connected the colonies to Europe. Indigenous women too were slaves
in the hands of the colonisers as they had to wove cloth for the miners and were physically
exploited as well. Women had no freedom and identity. Either they had to marry and bear
children or lead the life of a nun (Chasteen 62). The colonised people of Latin America and
African slaves had to accept the domination of their colonisers. Th Eslaves had to take the
religion of the Europeans. A strict caste division was maintained. All the church officials
were of European origin. The indigenous people were not allowed to question the church
officials. People had to pay tithe (tax) to the church. Educational institutions too were made
religious. The church dominated every sphere of an individual's life which was nothing less
than slavery. Patriarchy was another way of governing the less inferior women of the time
(Chasteen 65). Women were punished for fornication whereas the men walked away without
any punishment. Women were bound to live under the control of men. Indigenous and the
African people as they were the slaves had to accept the Iberian kings. However, the slaves
practised their African traditions under the guise of the Catholic religion (Chasteen 67). The
people who were at the top of the hierarchy were always at the top and outlined the basic
principles of new cultural forms. Urban slaves were better off than the plantation slaves. The
former could socialise with the people of Africa. Slaves also worked as artisans. Iberian
Kings categorised people according to castes- education, money and clothing. During the