ccot

Jaxson Mueller
Ms. Fischer
Humanities­ 1st
7 November 2014
CCOT
The labor systems in Latin America from 1450­1900 experienced many continuities and changes. Latin American/Caribbean countries developed lower cost labor through the preservation of the hacienda system and continuous use of foreign and immigrant workers through Latin American/Caribbean plantations, even though increasing indenture servitude and increasing of wage labor was becoming more prevalent in the growing cities.
The Hacienda system in Latin America kept labor costs at a virtually free price by bounding Indians to certain lands by constantly keeping them in debt throughout the early modern to modern period. During the early 1500’s, Hernan Cortes after being granted the
Spanish crown was given encomiendas, allowing him access to large amounts of indigenous labor. With the growth of Indian populace by the early 1800’s, the hacienda system continued in full throttle. Similar processes occurred in Puerto Rico during the time of Spanish colonization in which haciendas were created and cheap labor force was used in order to create a greater production of goods. The reason for this continuity is that the use of the hacienda system continued to give Latin America the convenience of nearby indigenous labor for a very cheap price to pay.
Foreign and immigrant workers within Latin America from 1450­1900 were used to work on plantations and Haciendas, because of the benefit of cheap labor. By the late
1400’s, Trans Atlantic slave trade began to spark, causing African slaves to be a source of labor. As slave abolition movements began to ignite in the late 1700’s, it became less acceptable to continue to have slave labor, so many plantation owners secretly kept slaves with them. However, by the late 1800’s, slavery was almost non existent, although due to the increasing popularity of indentured servants in plantations, an element of migratory work was still reflected upon Latin American labor force. This continuity exists because of the fact that slaves were cheap, useful, and easily accessible labor that was overall very productive to the purpose of producing items.
Indentured labor in the Caribbean was becoming an alternative to slavery quicker as more Europeans began to migrate around the world. During the 1500’s, slavery was in a strong position for the Caribbean, but by the time that the late 1800’s rolled around, migrating
Europeans began to have the choose to become a servant by paying off debt with working on a plantation. A more effective way of labor because the workers are more motivated to do more. This change exist because of the fact that slaves were not needed as much once more dedicated workers came to do the job. A similar process occurred in American colonies in which indentured workers paid off debts in order to become citizens.
Wage labor in Latin America was slowly becoming more prevalent rather than slavery on haciendas. During the 1600’s, wage labor was basically unheard of in this area, however during the 1700’s, wage labor began throughout Latin America. By the 1800’s, wage labor continued to increase in haciendas along with indentured labor and was used because of the massive European immigration occurring instead of having to use African slaves. This change

exists because wage labor is the willingness or agreement to work on a Hacienda by contract.
Therefore, it is by choice, not force.