The book La Colonizacion del Noreste, Indios y Encomenderos del Siglo XVII focuses on the Spanish system of encomendias and how native Americans were treated.
I came across it while researching El Presidio de Cerralvo were some of my ancestors made their military careers. The book piqued my interest since some of my ancestors are mentioned in it.
The author Maria Luisa Herrera Casasus makes a great presentation as to the motives of the Spaniards in settling the Northeastern frontier of New Spain. She also mentions of how the native american populations were treated and also many times enslaved by the Spanish.
Sadly, some of my own ancestors were encomenderos in El Nuevo Reino de Leon and some even enslaved them. The basis of her research was the book by Don Israel Cavazos Garza titled "El Nuevo Reino de Leon y Monterrey a Traves de 3000 Documentos".
Overall I highly recommend everyone read this book since it provides a side of the story that many choose to ignore or try to forget.
Cover of Book La Colonizacion del Noreste, Indios y Encomenderos del Siglo XVII
Note: This book s is hosted by the Instituto Tamaulipeco Para la Cultura y Las Artes the above link takes you straight to were they have it on their server.
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I also have ancestors that mentioned both black and Indian as property. These are facts and we can’t deny them.
Nothing we can do about it. It is in our history.
I wish this book was published in an English translation. Sure make is tough on the researchers that cannot read Spanish.
Totally understand.
This is when I get frustrated that I do not know the Spanish language well enough to read a letter much less a book. I muddle through documents. I saved the book 'just in case".