Slavery in Spain facts for kids

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Slavery has a long history in Spain, going back to ancient times when the Phoenicians and Romans were present. In the 9th century, Muslim rulers and Jewish traders bought and sold Christian slaves from Spain and Eastern Europe. Spain's own slave trade began in the 15th century and grew very large in the 16th century.

The first African slaves were brought to Spain by Portuguese captains in 1441. A few years later, a large group of 235 African slaves arrived. By 1462, Portuguese slave traders were active in Seville, Spain. Spanish merchants also started trading many slaves in the 1470s. These slaves were sold at markets, often near cathedrals, and then sent to cities across Spain. This led to many Moorish, African, and Christian people being enslaved in Spain. By the 16th century, about 7.4% of the people in Seville were slaves. Many historians believe that Spain had the most African slaves in Europe during this time.

When the New World (the Americas) was discovered, Spanish settlers wanted to use the land for farming and mining. They first used Native American people for this work. However, many Native Americans died from wars, diseases, and harsh treatment. As more workers were needed, especially for growing sugarcane, the Spanish Crown thought about whether it was right to enslave Native Americans.

A priest named Bartolomé de las Casas was very worried about the Native Americans. In 1516, he suggested bringing white and black slaves to the Americas instead. African slaves were seen as better because they were more resistant to European diseases. They also knew more about farming methods. This idea led to the growth of the Atlantic Slave Trade, which brought millions of Africans to the Americas.

Emperor Charles V made an important decision about Native American slavery. On November 25, 1542, he passed the New Laws (Leyes Nuevas). These laws officially ended the enslavement of Native Americans. Spanish religious leaders and lawyers agreed that such slavery was wrong and illegal. The laws also aimed to stop slavery among Native Americans themselves. The Encomienda system, which forced Native Americans to work, was also ended in 1550. However, these laws did not stop forced labor right away. New systems like repartimiento and mita in Peru continued to force Native Americans to work. These systems were also later stopped because of abuses. By the 17th century, forced Native American labor continued illegally, while African slave labor was legal.

Slavery before 1492
Slavery after 1492
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Slavery before 1492

Before 1492, Spain was made up of several different kingdoms. Each kingdom had its own rules about slavery. Different groups of people were enslaved in different places.

Generally, slaves worked in homes, as skilled workers, or helped with many tasks. From Roman times to the Middle Ages, the number of slaves in Spain was very small. Slaves probably made up less than 1% of the population. Slavery involved people from many cultures and backgrounds. It also played a role in the economies of Spain and other countries.

Roman laws

Many people mistakenly think that slavery in Spain was based on race. However, historians like William D. Phillips Jr. have shown that religion was often more important than race in deciding who became a slave. Roman laws set rules for slavery, including where slaves came from, their living conditions, and how they could become free. It was usually against the rules to enslave someone of the same religion. The Romans often used large groups of slaves for farming and other big projects.

Visigothic slavery

The Visigoths were a group of people who practiced slavery before they came to Spain. They continued to do so after arriving, using a system similar to the Romans. Their sources of slaves and rules for treatment were much like the Romans'. At first, the Visigoths had no problem enslaving Catholic Christians. A key difference was that the Visigoths used slaves as active soldiers, while Romans only used them for support roles in the military.

Slavery in Al-Andalus

During the time of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), the Moors controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula. They brought white Christian slaves from the 8th century until the end of the Reconquista in the late 15th century. These slaves came from Christian parts of Spain and Eastern Europe. This caused strong reactions from Christians in Spain. Muslims used similar methods to the Romans to capture slaves, often by making alliances with cities. They captured 30,000 Christian prisoners from Spain. Raids were often designed to quickly capture people. The Iberian Peninsula also served as a place to send slaves to other Muslim areas in North Africa.

When Al-Andalus was formed, Christians and Jews could keep their slaves if they paid a special tax. However, non-Muslims could not own Muslim slaves. If a slave converted to Islam, the owner had to sell them to a Muslim. Later, in the 9th and 10th centuries, Christians were allowed to buy new non-Muslim slaves through the existing slave trade.

The saqaliba slaves during the Caliphate of Cordoba are well-known in Al-Andalus. These were often European slaves brought from Northern or Eastern Europe. Male saqaliba worked in many jobs, such as in kitchens, falconry, mints, textile workshops, or as royal guards. Female saqaliba worked in the royal harem.

Slavery in Christian Iberia

Slavery also existed in the Christian kingdoms of northern Spain. It continued from Visigothic practices. At first, enslaving Christians was allowed. But from the 8th to the 11th centuries, Christian kingdoms slowly stopped this practice. They then only enslaved Muslims from Al-Andalus. Unlike the Romans, who used large slave groups, slavery in the medieval north mostly added to the workforce of free laborers. Slaves also did temporary work for special projects. Male slaves might be servants or agents, while female slaves often worked in homes.

As Christian slavery ended, most slaves in Christian kingdoms came from wars with the Muslim south. In the western kingdom of Castile, this remained the main way to get slaves throughout the Middle Ages. The number of slaves grew in the late 15th century. This was when Castilians and Portuguese began exploring the Atlantic coast of Africa. This brought the first large numbers of sub-Saharan African slaves into Europe.

In eastern Spain, in Aragon (with cities like Barcelona and Valencia), slavery changed in the later Middle Ages. Instead of getting slaves mainly from wars in Spain, they joined a larger slave market in the Christian Western Mediterranean. These slaves were mostly captured by Italian states from the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean, and north of the Black Sea. The imported slaves were not Christian, or at least not Catholic. Most were females who worked as domestic servants in the growing cities. They were encouraged to convert to Christianity and were freed more often than in western states. Aragon also supplied many slaves to these markets after conquering Muslim Majorca and Minorca.

Christian states did not allow their Jewish and Muslim residents to own Christian slaves. This made Muslim slave owners less likely to fit into Christian society. Their faith was strengthened by being around slaves from Muslim countries.

Slavery after 1492

After 1492, Spain became a united country. Slavery then followed the same rules across all of Spain.

Enslavement of Africans

In 1442, Pope Eugene IV gave Portugal the right to explore Africa. Portugal tried to keep its discoveries secret from Spain, which was also exploring Africa. At that time, Spain was partly controlled by a Muslim power, and the Catholic Church felt threatened. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V issued the Dum Diversas, which gave the right to enslave anyone who was not Christian. The Spanish government created the Asiento system, which lasted from 1543 to 1834. The Asiento allowed other countries to sell people into slavery to Spain. By the late 16th century, many people in Spain were of African descent. Historian Antumi Toasijé notes that African people have a long history in Spain. He says that Spanish identity was shaped by the interaction between African and European cultures.

Enslavement of indigenous Americans

In February 1495, Christopher Columbus captured over 1,500 Arawak people. About 550 of them were sent to Spain as slaves. Sadly, about 40% of them died during the journey.

Enslavement of Moors

The Moors often worked as slaves in Christian Spain. These slaves were captured from Spain and North Africa and brought into Christian areas. During the Expulsion of the Moriscos (Muslims forced to convert to Christianity), thousands chose to become slaves rather than leave Spain. Spain's Moorish slave population was gradually freed in the early 18th century as slavery declined.

Treatment of slaves

The treatment of slaves in Spain was thought to be less harsh than in some other places. Over time, individual slaves could gain enough status to become free. However, how slaves were treated depended on each owner, even though some laws protected slaves. Slave owners wanted to keep control, believing that more rights for slaves would harm their interests. It was also important to Spanish slave owners that their slaves take Spanish names and become Christian.

Spanish slaves who converted to Christianity were often treated better. They also had more chances to gain freedom. Since Christianity was the main religion in Spain, it was seen as respectful for slaves to adopt it. This willingness to convert often led to better treatment and a closer bond with their owners. It also gave them a better chance of being accepted into Spanish society after they became free.