The Mistreatment of the indigenous groups of America
... there was no way for two or more mercantilist countries to trade with each other while retaining the purpose of keeping their goods within their own country, many of these countries had to look for new markets somewhere else. Many countries promoted expeditions set to find new lands where they were yet unaware of mercantilism. Spain and Portugal were among the first ones to expand their influence beyond charted territories. The two countries even had a dispute over where each country had the power to establish colonies. Pope Alexander VI, a highly regarded figure in both Catholic countries, with the Treaty of Tordesillas, easily settled the dispute. The treaty established a line of Demarcation going through Brazil. Everything west of the line belonged to Spain and everything east of the line was to go to Portugal. With the dispute settled each country was on its way to creating new markets. As described by Gomes Eannes de Azurara many goods could be brought to the new land, which would be eager to accept them, since no merchants were seen there before and no market was established, creating a monopoly for Europeans (Doc A). Both Spanish and Portuguese did not stop simply at creating new markets after spending so much time and gold on exploration. Each country went much further by enslaving the indigenous people that lived within the explored territory. Spain even justified this enslavement by passing laws regarding establishment of the encomiendas. As the basis for the encomiendas, once again, served the spread of Christianity. According to the Laws of Burgos, Spain of 1512 the Indians could not maintain Christianity and simply forgot it’s teaching in their distant villages, so they needed to be brought to the settlements of the Spanish where they would be taught Christian values and civilized. As part of living on the encomiendas the Indians were forced to work for certain periods of time in the gold and silver mines (Doc C). This system provided for two of the Spanish economic objectives at once – gold and silver mining as well as cheap slave labor. Colonization brought many new resources and raw materials to the Europeans. The Indians in the Americas were so unaccustomed to such everyday objects as leather straps and coins that they traded everything they possessed, such as high quality cotton and gold for even the smallest of these objects of everyday life in the civilized world (Doc B). Thus, the Spanish explorers were able to gain all the needed resources and high-quality goods at practically no cost what so ever. According to Columbus the Indians at first were “...