The Encomienda System

The Encomienda System maybe described as a system of tributory labor established in the Spanish Americas.
This system was establish as a means of Christianizing, obtaining proper housing and food provision of the indigenous people in return for their services as slaves.
The Encomienda System began on Columbus' third voyage to Hispaniola.
The ideology of Encomienda included another system called Repartmiento.
Developed as a means of securing an adequate and cheap labour supply, (partmiento), in Spanish colonial practice, usually, the distribution of indigenous people for forced labor
In a broader sense it referred to any official distribution of goods, property, services, and the like. From as early as 1499, deserving Spaniards were allotted pieces of land, receiving at the same time the native people living on them; these allotments were known as Encomienda [Span. Encomendar-to entrust], the Encomienda was first used over the conquered Moors of Spain. and the process was the Repartmiento; the two words were often used interchangeably. The Encomienda was almost always accompanied by a system of forced labor and other assessments exacted from the indigenous people
THE PURPOSE OF THE ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM AND SLAVERY
To gain gold and glory for Spain
To spread Christianity
To gain more Spanish territories for the king
To control the natives
THE CAUSES OF THE END OF THE ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM
The rate of the natives decreased.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella regretted giving Columbus so much power and sent a representative to observe the running of the Encomienda System. This representative reported negative treatments of the indigenous people thus leading to the termination of the system by the King and Queen
There were too many revolts as some Spaniards and Caciques fought against the system.
IMPACTS OF THE ENCOMIENDA SYSTEM
Negative
Death of several native Indians because of over – working , starvation and diseases
Deculturalization
Suicide and infanticide
Genocide
Positive
The encomenderos got work completed at a faster rate.
The Spanish colony earned an income
Christianity was spread
The encomenderos got land

Claypole William, Robottom John.(2001). Caribbean Story Bk1. 33 second street, Newport West, P.O. Box 489, Kingston Jamaica: Longman publishing house.
Free online Encyclopedia
Jemmont Jenny, Josephs Alreic and Monteith Kathleen.(2010). The Caribbean, the Atlantic World and Global Transformation. Department of History and Archaeology: university of the West indies.