MERCANTILISM

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MERCANTILISM

• ca. 1500-1750

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MERCANTILIST THOUGHT

• 1. Desire to Expand

2. Wealth Gold Silver
3. Balance of Trade
a. Produce Exports of High Value
b. Minimize Imports (tariffs)
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MERCANTILIST THOUGHT

3. Balance of Trade
c. Monopolize Trade
1. Raise prices of exports
2. Lower prices of imports
d. Subsidize exports
e. Promote Shipping Industry
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MERCANTILIST THOUGHT

3. Balance of Trade
f. Low Wages
1. Labor Laws
g. Colonies
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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• ENCOMIENDA
• Encomendar to commend, to entrust, to bestow
• Assignment to a colonist of a group of indians
  who were to serve him with tribute and labor.
• A form of slavery

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• REQUERIMIENTO
• Manifesto calling on the natives to acknowledge
  the supremecy of the church and the pope, and the
  sovereignty of the spanish monarchs over their
  lands on pain of war and enslavement.
• Read before making war.

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• REPARTIMIENTO / MITA
• Repartir to share out
• Repartimiento sharing out
• All adult male indians had to give time in
  rotation to work in mines, workshops, farms,
  ranches, public works in return for token wages.
• Failure meant imprisonment, fines, physical
  punishment.
• Disguised slavery.

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• YANACONA
• Yanacona Indian bondsman (male slave)
• Indians separated from their communities and
  served spaniards as personal servants.
• Transferred with estate from one landowner to
  another.

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• Usurpation of communal lands.
• Hacienda
• Farm workers paid mostly in-kind
• Pressure from declining population and usurpation.

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• REPARTIMIENTO DE MERCANCÍAS
• Compulsory purchase by indians of goods from
  district governors
• Work until debt is paid.

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INSTITUTIONS OF EXPLOITATION

• OBRAJES (WORKSHOPS)
• Indians tempted into workshops by offer of liquor
  or a small sum of money.
• Once inside the gates, they were never let out
  again.
• BLACK SLAVERY