Encomienda
is a Spanish term for “commission” or “to entrust”. In America (parts of North,
Central, South America and Carribean), Christopher Columbus gave the first
encomiendas to Spanish conquerors such as priests, settlers, officials such as
rights to own lands in the area. The system was said to be close to slavery
because (some of the reasons):
*Natives
were to pay tribute by using their own lands.
*They
were exposed to diseases (such as smallpox, and measles) and no resources to
battle it out.
*Instead
of literacy and security, conquerors made Natives to slaves by overworking them
on farms and plantations.
