Colonial Era: Political, Economic, and Cultural Impact

The Colonization

The third step was the colonization, in which we can distinguish different political organizations, economic exploitation, and a cultural impact.

Political Organization

In the political organization, we find various organisms and institutions:

• Casa de Contratación: Granted permission to exploit and trade with the Americas through the capitulaciones.
• Consejo de Indias: Experts who advised the monarchs on matters related to their American possessions.
• Viceroyalties: Led by viceroys who acted as the King's representatives and held absolute power in the Americas.
• Audiencias: Served as the high courts of justice.

Economic Exploitation

The conquistadores exploited the natural resources and local populations of the Americas, discovering new products. The resources of the New World were managed through two main systems:

• Encomienda: Groups of indigenous Americans and territories assigned to colonists.
• Mitas: Forced labor that the natives were required to perform in gold and silver mines.

This period also resulted in a significant demographic impact.

Cultural Impact and Indigenous Rights

Although there was a profound cultural impact, Bartolomé de las Casas protested and denounced the suffering of the Amerindians. Consequently, the Crown intervened and enacted the Leyes Nuevas and the Leyes de Burgos, which established that Amerindians were not slaves and possessed legal rights.

The Consequences

We can categorize the consequences into economic, political, and cultural spheres.

Economic Consequences

The Mediterranean became less important as port cities along the Atlantic coast grew. Large quantities of precious metals arrived in Europe from the Americas, while exotic and manufactured products were exported.

Political Consequences

The primary political consequence was the expansion of the known world through the creation of European colonial empires.

Cultural Consequences

There was a significant development in sciences, such as geography, biology, and anthropology. Furthermore, technology advanced to meet new needs, particularly in the field of navigation.