Tasa de Laso de la Vega facts for kids
Tasa de Laso de la Vega was a special rule about taxes in Chile a long time ago. It was created in 1635 by the Royal Governor of Chile, a leader named Francisco Laso de la Vega.
This rule said that native people who worked on large farms, called encomiendas, could choose how they paid their yearly taxes. They could pay with money, by working, or with gold. The amount was set at 10 pesos each year. This was like working for 40 days without pay.
However, this new rule was not often followed. The native workers did not really see their lives get better.
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What Was the Laso de la Vega Tax?
The Tasa de Laso de la Vega was a new law about how native people paid their taxes. It was made in 1635 in a place then called the Captaincy General of Chile. This area is now the country of Chile.
Who Was Francisco Laso de la Vega?
Francisco Laso de la Vega was the main leader of Chile at that time. He was known as the Royal Governor. He was in charge of the Spanish lands and people there.
What Were Encomiendas?
Encomiendas were like big farms or areas of land. Spanish leaders were given control over these lands and the native people living on them. The native people had to work for the Spanish leaders or pay them taxes.
How Did the Tax Work?
Before this new rule, native people often had to work for free. The Tasa de Laso de la Vega tried to change this. It said that native people could pay their yearly tax in three ways:
- Money: They could pay with coins.
- Labor: They could work for a set number of days.
- Gold: They could pay with gold.
The tax was set at 10 pesos per year. This amount was equal to about 40 days of forced work.
Did the New Rule Help?
Even though the rule sounded fair, it did not work well. Most of the time, the new rules were not followed. The native workers continued to face hard conditions. Their lives did not get much better because of this tax.
See Also
- History of Chile
- Mapuche people
