The period when Spain established and maintained colonies in the Americas, beginning in the late 15th century. It involved the exploration, conquest, and exploitation of indigenous peoples and resources.
Related terms
Encomienda system: A Spanish labor system where conquistadors were granted land and control over indigenous people living on that land.
Columbian Exchange: The exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas following Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World.
Plantation economy: An agricultural system based on large-scale commercial farming that relied heavily on slave labor.