In 1493, the pope drew a line down a map and divided the world into two parts.

1. In 1493, the pope drew a line down a map and divided the world into two parts. Spain controlled all new land west of the line and Portugal controlled all land east of the line: Africa and India. But in 1494, under pressure from Portugal, the pope moved the line farther west to include Brazil.

2. Now, with the land officially divided, Spain and Portugal set out to rule this “New World.” Soon the king of Spain created five provinces and sent a viceroy to govern each province.

3. To encourage Spanish settlement, the king gave large areas of land to Spanish conquistadors. Their descendants formed a class of wealthy landowners.

4. Spanish landowners needed millions of farm workers and miners. The Spanish forced Native American Indians to work for them. The Spanish landowners were cruel to their workers.

5. The Spanish called this system of forced labor the encomienda system. Under this system, a Spaniard had to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism and take care of their needs.

6. Spaniards did convert the American Indians to Catholicism but neglected to take care of their workers.

7. At least twenty million Native Americans lived in Latin America when the Spanish first arrived. Within 100 years, the Native population was down to 4 million.

8. Many Native American Indians died from European diseases and the hard, dangerous work in the mines and farms. But they also died because the Spanish refused to let them practice their customs and traditions. They simply lost hope.

9. Some Spaniards tried to stop the mistreatment of the Native people. Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish priest. He wrote to the king and condemned the cruel treatment of the Native Americans by the Spanish. He suggested that the king use African workers. Later, he regretted this idea.

10. Ultimately, a new class system developed in colonial Latin America. It was a a system based on birth and ethnicity. Europeans prospered while Indians and Africans suffered.

11. Peninsulares were born in Spain. They held the most important government jobs and owned vast tracts of land. They greatly prospered.

12. Creoles were people born in the Americas of entirely European ancestry. They could not hold the most important government jobs but they inherited vast tracts of land. These wealthy landowners lived comfortable and privileged lives.

13. Mestizos were people of mixed ancestry. They had European and Native American ancestors. They were typically farmers or craftsmen.

14. Native American Indians and Africans were enslaved. They were mistreated and forced to adopt the Christian religion and European languages.

15. Colonial Latin America Treaty Of Tordesillas Las Casas The Colonial Class System