Order of Things: Go over kids' homework where they had to write about the encomienda
system, show pictures of Maximon, discuss key questions, assign roles, go over my notes
below, and then give them their roles. Do simulation and discuss. Go over tests.
Key Questions:
How does racism begin?
How does it become ingrained into a culture?
The Encomienda System
http://www.millersville.edu/~columbus/papers/scott-m.html
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Similar to system in Spain after Inquisition
Initial Purpose
A. educate locals and spread Christianity
1. any encomendero with more than 50 Indians had to educate one boy → lead to the education
of others
a. turned into exploitation
B. allow natives to keep their land, work their land, and pay tribute for protection (like the feudal
system in Europe)
1. could not be enforced
2. system essentially became one where New Spain colonists divided territories and enslaved
natives
a. saw the land as a reward for their efforts to colonize
C. Indians were not granted to encomendero for life but just for 2-3 years
D. Indians were supposed to be paid and supplied for the provisions that they needed to live
Justification for the System as it Played Outnumbered
A. Indians needed proper direction and could not lead Christian lives on their own
1. "the Indian loved to go about naked and they held money and property as no value…they
had no sense of shame…they had no feeling of guilt." (Simpson 46)
What Actually Happened
A. became a system to ensure cheap labor
B. many Spaniard tradesmen who came over for blacksmithing, carpentry, shipbuilding, etc. got
enticed by the profit of the system, gave up their trade, and became encomenderos
C. encomenderos even began to consider themselves landed gentry → belief that the
encomendero should not have to work to survive, because the Indians could do it for them in the
form of tributes. Thus, the position of the encomendero became a coveted one due to the
tributes that the Indians were to pay.
Tributes
A. not new to natives
B. Spaniards decided tribute should just be what natives were used to producing: maize, salt,
honey, hunted game, cotton clothes, beans and pepper
C. also turned into labor: work in mines and on plantations; military service to protect land
D. allowed encomenderos to turn a profit; they didn't have to work and could trade the tribute items
E. could set tributes however high they wanted
1. hard labor in mines actually helped to drastically reduce natives numbers, essentially killing
off their labor force
a. if this happened, encomenderos just petitioned the Crown for more Indians
i. Crown responded by forcing fixed tributes
ii. Crown also set up a local government called Audencia to regulate abuses
VI. Challenge for King and Queen of Spain
A. encomienda system brought power and wealth for Spain but was devestating for the native
population which was to be Christianized and saved thanks to Mother Spain, not abused and
mistreated
B. Issued New Laws of 1540
1. limited power of encomenderos, gave land/rights to natives, abolished slavery in any form,
reduced the size of any single encomienda → caused an economic depression in New Spain due to the
fact that they couldn't use slave labor → almost anarchy amongst the Spanish colonists → laws were
watered down → encomienda system became more institutionalized (necessary) as a result
The encomienda system, no matter how it originated, became a monster with a
voracious appetite for Indian lives. The system set a precedent for the treatment and
esteem for the Indian population in the Americans, and the fight against it was an
uphill battle that was never quite won. In fact, one could even argue that the
encomienda system never died off, that it merely evolved and took on new forms, like
that of American slavery.
Items Needed for Simulation: toothpicks, beads, dice, paper for crosses, popsicle sticks
Notes Before Beginning Simulation: Every rectangular table represents land granted to different
enomenderos. Natives start at tables, as couples, farming their land (putting colored beads on
toothpicks; five beads of the same color represents a finished crop or mined gold or silver). Items on
the ground – popsicle sticks – represent maize, salt, honey, hunted game, cotton clothes, beans and
peppers.
Show each encomendero and wives where their grant is (assign each a table) but have them start in the
hall. Same with Bartolome. Give the indigenous people some time to gather popsicle sticks (maize,
salt, honey, hunted game, cotton, beans and peppers).
Also, take advantage of that time to answer questions for the two groups while they are separated.
Put paper at each table for them to draw Maximon.
Put paper at each table for them to draw crosses.
Make sure some people die of disease throughout, especially if they are working too hard.
Post- Simulation Questions:
How do wealth and power help to cement racism in a culture?
Spanish Encomendero with Family (x 2)
The Situation: You have recently been granted permission by the Spanish king, Joe, to
come to New Spain (Guatemala) with your family and have been granted a large piece of
land to farm and potentially mine for gold and silver. Roll the dice to see whether or not
you will be farming cocoa or extracting gold or silver from mines. Circle the correct one:
Roll 1-5 - Farming cocoa
Roll 6 - Mining gold and silver
Both farming and mining are labor intensive (hard work). You know that you cannot do
either on your own, so you must find cheap labor. Fortunately for you, there are native
inhabitants throughout the region. Though King Joe has not technically given you the right
to take their land or control them, he has given you an opportunity to get cheap labor.
Like the feudal system back in Europe, the idea is that you could would allow the
indigenous people to work the land as usual, but you would collect tribute from them in
the form of gold and silver and/or cocoa. In turn, you would provide them protection and
a religious education.
Goals:
1. Get the native people to work the land for gold and silver or farm it for cocoa
(toothpicks with beads on them)
2. Collect taxes or tribute from them in the form of maize, salt, honey, hunted game,
cotton clothes, beans and peppers (popscicle sticks). This assures you that you will
not have to work the land yourself, as you will get everything you need from the
natives
3. Practice Christianity and teach the native people Christianity, as well
4. Send tribute back to the King Joe
Challenges:
1. You cannot write to or speak with the indigenous people; you must communicate
in other ways
2. You can use force if anyone gets out of line or tries to escape (natives potentially
escape if they make it to the hallway); you show force by clapping (this is
the same as firing off a weapon); you may only clap five times during the activity;
just point to the laborer, clap and he or she will be under your control
3. Your Mayan laborers are very prone to disease and malnutrition; some will die
throughout the activity. If that is the case, you can purchase an African slave for
3 toothpicks with beads; pay King Joe
4. You believe that the Mayan people are still practicing their awful traditional
religion, which involves the belief of many gods; this directly conflicts with
Catholicism and the belief of one god; you may want to use force to stop this.
Requirements:
1. You must have two male laborers working for you at all times for your encomienda
to be successful
2. You must get 10 pieces of gold/silver or cocoa from your workers; these come in the
form of toothpicks with beads on them; you must show these to King Joe at the end
of the simulation; King Joe will take 3 for himself
3. You must collect 5 forms of tribute (maize, salt, honey, hunted game, cotton clothes,
beans and peppers) from indigenous people; these look like popsicle sticks and are
to be found by natives on the ground in various places around the classroom;
YOU CANNOT COLLECT THESE ITEMS YOURSELF!
4. If you have three laborers, one of them must be taught the ways of Christianity;
he/she must say“God is Good, God is Great”to King Joe, though you get nothing
in return if a laborer does this and there is no consequence if a laborer does not do
this.
5. As a Catholic, you must show your devotion by drawing and cutting out three
crosses
Wife of Encomendero (x2)
The Situation: You have recently arrived from Spain with your husband, an encomendero
who acquired a large piece of land to farm or mine. Your basic job is to raise the children
and keep track of the servants. You do not have an education, since that is reserved only
for men, but you are very religious.
Goals:
1. Raise a religious family
2. Get the indigenous Mayan women to cook and clean
3. Teach the indigenous people Christianity
Challenges:
1. You cannot speak with the indigenous people since you do not know their language
and they do not speak Spanish; you must communicate in other ways
2. Based on the way that the natives act and dress, you believe they have no
direction or shame. This affects the way you treat them.
3. You believe that your husband, who must travel around the region for long
stretches of time in order to maintain order, might have several native mistresses
and might be fathering their children. This affects your relationship with him.
Requirements:
1. You must pray often; in order to show you are a devout Christian and are educating
your children in Catholicism, you must draw and cut out 10 crosses
2. You must get the Mayan women to cook and clean; at least two jobs around the
classroom must be completed by them (example: straightening the resource center or
washing a table)
3. You want to teach the indigenous people the ways of Christianity. You
must get the women servants to say,“God is Good, God is Great”to King Joe
Spanish Encomendero without Family (x2)
The Situation: You have recently been granted permission by the Spanish king, Joe, to
come to New Spain (Guatemala) with your family and have been granted a large piece of
land to farm and potentially mine for gold and silver. Roll the dice to see whether or not
you will be farming cocoa or extracting gold or silver from mines. Circe the correct one:
Roll 1-5 - Farming cocoa
Roll 6 - Mining gold and silver
Both farming and mining are labor intensive (hard work). You know that you cannot do
either on your own, so you must find cheap labor. Fortunately for you, native people have
land surrounding your estate. Though King Joe has not technically given you the right to
take their land or control them, he has given you an opportunity to get cheap labor. Like
the feudal system back in Europe, the idea is that you could would allow the indigenous
people to work the land as usual, but you would collect tribute from them in the form of
gold/silver and cocoa. In turn, you would provide them protection and a religious
education.
Goals:
1. Get the native people to work the land for gold and silver or farm it for cocoa
(toothpicks with beads on them)
2. Collect taxes or tribute from them in the form of maize, salt, honey, hunted game,
cotton clothes, beans and peppers (popscicle sticks). This assures you that you will
not have to work the land yourself, as you will get everything you need from the
natives
3. Practice Christianity and teach the native people Christianity, as well
4. Send tribute back to the King Joe
5. Find a wife - Spanish, Mayan or African
Challenges:
1. You cannot write to or speak with the indigenous people; you must communicate
in other ways
2. You can use force if anyone gets out of line or tries to escape (natives potentially
escape if they make it to the hallway); you show force by clapping (this is
the same as firing off a weapon); you may only clap five times during the activity;
just point to the laborer, clap and he or she will be under your control
3. Your Mayan laborers are very prone to disease and malnutrition; some will die
throughout the activity. If that is the case, you can purchase an African slave for
3 toothpicks with beads; pay King Joe
4. You believe that the Mayan people are still practicing their awful traditional
religion, which involves the belief of many gods; this directly conflicts with
Catholicism and the belief of one god; you may want to use force to stop this.
Requirements:
1.
You must have two male laborers working for you at all times for your encomienda
to be successful
2. You must get 10 pieces of gold/silver or cocoa from your workers; these come in the
form of toothpicks with beads on them; you must show these to King Joe at the end
of the simulation; King Joe will take 3 for himself
3. You must collect 5 forms of tribute (maize, salt, honey, hunted game, cotton clothes,
beans and peppers) from indigenous people; these look like popsicle sticks and are
to be found by natives on the ground in various places around the classroom;
YOU CANNOT COLLECT THESE ITEMS YOURSELF!
4. If you have three laborers, one of them must be taught the ways of Christianity;
he/she must say“God is Good, God is Great”to King Joe, though you get nothing
in return if a laborer does this and there is no consequence if a laborer does not do
this.
5. As a Catholic, you must show your devotion by drawing and cutting out three
crosses
6. You must find a wife. If you choose a Mayan or African wife, you will have to get
her to marry you by force. This means you must use one of your five claps. Tell
Joe when you use a clap for marriage.
Indigenous Mayan – MALE (x5)
The Situation: A strange new group has come into your village. They look different, talk
differently, and use force when needed. You are not sure what they say, but you know
that their presence is going to strangely affect your life and the lives of your family. You
do not understand them but you sense that they are determined to take over the area.
Goals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Survive
Stay with your family
Practice your traditional religion
Resist the Spanish in any way possible
Challenges:
1. Stay or Go? You have the choice to run away or stay but there are risks. If you
escape (leave the table and makes it to the hallway), then you have the option to roll the
dice to decide (note: this might mean you die early):
1-2: you and your family make it to the highlands where the land is less
desirable but you are safe from Spanish rule
3-4 you and your family are caught; the Spanish separate you from your
family; your wife and kids go to one encomienda and you go to another
5-6: You and your family are caught and killed by the Spanish*
2. Work. The work required on the encomendero's plantation is very difficult. It involves
either farming cocoa beans or mining for gold or silver; both of these require you
to put beads onto a toothpick; If you work too hard, then you will die of
malnutrition. If you do not work hard enough, then you face consequences by the
encomendero.
You might only want to work when he is watching.
2. Force. The encomendero has weapons that you have never seen. They scare you. If
the encomendero claps during the activity, this means he is shooting off his weapon.
When he does this, you must do what he commands. If he claps at you twice, then
you die.
3. Language. You do not understand Spanish and the encomendero does not understand
your Mayan language; you do not want to upset them but struggle to understand them.
4. Religion. You do not want to change your religious beliefs, yet the encomendero and
his wife might force you; you want to continue practicing your religion whenever
possible.
=
*NOTE: If you die or make it to safety at any point, then the labor force of the
enocomendero is reduced. Therefore, you will re-enter the activity as an African slave
Requirements:
1. Survive (not as an African slave but as a Mayan)
2. Harvest your own crops or hunt: maize, salt, honey, hunted game, cotton, beans and
peppers; these look like popsicle sticks and can be found throughout the room
3. Stay on the same encomienda as your wife
4. Practice your own religion in private; you must draw one picture of Maximon by the
end of the activity
Africa Slave
The Situation: As the native populations died out because of disease, malnutrition, or
mistreatment, encomenderos began buying slaves from Africa. You are in a very different
position from the Mayan people. You are in a strange place far from home, oftentimes
separated from your family. You do not speak the language of either the indigenous Mayan
people or the Spanish in control. Force has been used on you to bring you over, and you
are convinced that force will be used on you again.
You work the land as required by the encomendero.
Indigenous Mayan – FEMALE (x5)
The Situation: A strange new group has come into your village. They look different, talk
differently, and use force when needed. You are not sure what they say, but you know
that their presence is going to strangely affect your life and the lives of your family. You
do not understand them but you sense that they are determined to take over the area.
Goals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Survive
Stay with your family
Practice your traditional religion
Resist the Spanish in any way possible
Challenges:
1. Stay or Go? Your husband will have the choice to run away or stay but there are
risks. If your husband escapes (leaves the table and makes it to the hallway), your family
will have the option to roll the dice to decide the outcome (note: this might mean you die
early):
1-2: you and your family make it to the highlands where the land is less
desirable but you are safe from Spanish rule
3-4 you and your family are caught; the Spanish separate you from your
family; you go to one encomienda and your husband will go to another
5-6: You and your family are caught and killed by the Spanish*
2. Work. You must raise your own children, plus work as a servant around the house. If
you do not work hard enough, then you face consequences by the encomendero or
his wife.
3. Force. The encomendero has weapons that you have never seen. They scare you. If
the encomendero claps during the activity, this means he is shooting off his weapon.
When he does this, you must do what he commands. If he claps at you twice, then
you die.
4. Language. You do not understand Spanish and the encomendero does not understand
your Mayan language; you do not want to upset them but struggle to understand them
5. Religion. You do not want to change your religious beliefs, yet the encomendero and
his wife might force you; you want to continue practicing your religion whenever
possible.
6. Brutality towards Women. The encomendero might try to force you to be his wife.
You must do this if he claps. If you don't and he claps twice, then you die.
=
*NOTE: If you die or make it to safety at any point, then the labor force of the
enocomendero is reduced. Therefore, you will re-enter the activity as an African slave.
Requirements:
1. Survive (not as an African slave but as a Mayan)
2. Harvest your own crops or hunt: maize, salt, honey, hunted game, cotton, beans and
peppers; these look like popscicle sticks and can be found throughout the room
3. Stay on the same encomienda as your husband
4. Practice your own religion in private; you must draw one picture of Maximon by the
end of the activity
5. Avoid becoming the wife of an encomendero
Africa Slave
The Situation: As the native populations died out because of disease, malnutrition, or
mistreatment, encomenderos began buying slaves from Africa. You are in a very different
position from the Mayan people. You are in a strange place far from home, oftentimes
separated from your family. You do not speak the language of either the indigenous Mayan
people or the Spanish in control. Force has been used on you to bring you over, and you
are convinced that force will be used on you again.
You work the land as required by the encomendero.
Fray Bartolome de las Casas (x1)
Among all those preoccupied with exploiting the natives, there were also men who
rigorously defended the Indians. One of the most prominent of those men working to
better the lives of the Indians was Bishop Bartolome de Las Casas. Las Casas was a
one-time Catholic priest living in Cuba, with an encomienda of his own. However, he
came to see the evils of the encomienda, was sickened by what he saw and repented.
He then decided to dedicate the rest of his life to righting the wrongs committed against
the Indians (Simpson 35). Shortly, because Las Casas was persistent in confronting the
abuses that the Indians endured in the name of the colonists' greed, he was often seen
as the main source of the encomendero's woes. Yet, because of his persistence, his
message about the terrible conditions in which the Indians lived reached the King's
officials, as well as others in the Church. Part of Las Casas' message included speaking
out against the injustice of the encomienda system, stating that "…the greatest evil has
caused the destruction of these lands…" he also stated that the Indians are worked all
day and night, even though all the profits went to the encomenderos which, he claimed
was "…against all reason and human prudence and against God and His will and His
church" (Hanke 86). In fact, when he went to the King in 1534 in order to get assistance
for the Indians, Las Casas was quoted as saying that action needed to be taken to aid
the Indians in order to "make sure that there would be Indians left to baptize…" (Hanke
87). Las Casas also took to documenting the problems, and in his work, A Very Brief
Account of the Destruction of the Indies, he detailed the extent of the abuses committed
against the Indians. At one point he claimed that some 15-20 million Indians perished at
the hands of the colonists (Hanke 89). Now, these numbers have been disputed, and
they may very well be off the mark in their high estimation, but historians have agreed
upon the priest's major claims. (Hanke 89).
The Situation: You have recently been successful with the Verapaz experiment. However,
all of that was undone by Spanish conquistadors determined to control the native
population by force. You have made it your personal mission to spread Christianity
peacefully to the Mayan people and to do so by changing the encomienda system. You
know that there are many Spanish encomenderos who use forceful measures, including
torture, to control the native population.
Goals:
1. Stop the encomenderos from abusing the native people
2. Spread Christianity to the native population
Challenges:
1. The encomenderos find that force is an effective way to control the native people
2. The encomenderos do not always appreciate you or your efforts
3. The native population does not want Christianity
Benefits:
1. You can speak with the indigenous people since you have taken the time to learn
their language; you can act as a mediator (communicator) between the Spanish and the
Mayan people
Requirements:
1. Stop five abuses of power; the encomenderos can use force and they show this by
clapping, which puts the native people under their control. You can try to get them to
use other ways to get what they want; if any encomendero is particularly abusive, then
you can write a letter to King Joe explaining how he has exceeded his power
2. Convert three natives or slaves by getting them to say, “God is Good, God is Great”
to King Joe