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Because the conditions were so brutal and European diseases so virulent that native American populations were decimated. The Spanish and Portuguese turned to Africans who were much more resistant to these viruses and conditions.

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8y ago
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8y ago

Initially the Spaniards intended to use the Indigenous Americans as a labor source, but a combination of Americans' inability to resist European diseases combined with the incredibly harsh work that they were put to led to vast decreases in the Indigenous American population. Current historians and anthropologists estimate that over 80% of the Indigenous American population was wiped out, especially in the Caribbean where smaller populations had prevented the development of any real disease immunities and the lack of central authority had not prepared them for arduous work. Comparatively, in the Andean Mountains and Central Mexico where the Inca and Aztec Empires had dominated, large Indigenous American populations remained, even after vast swathes were killed by disease and they were more able to deal with European labor demands because they were not much more intensive than what they had done in their previous imperial states.

However, with loss of such a numerous labor pool, the Spaniards had to import a new one. Africans had resistance to most of the same kinds of pathogens that were eviscerating the Indigenous American population and could withstand the hard work that was making short work of the natives in the Caribbean. As for why Africans were enslaved rather than convinced to come, it was cheaper to buy slaves from African Princes than to offer random Africans wages to come to the Americas and much more likely to create a consistent migration model. Spaniards did not want to learn hundreds of African languages to convince Africans to come to the colonies. If a few princes close to the water were willing to do all of the kidnapping and transfer a large quota of Africans to the Spanish on a timely basis, it was worth the enslavement.

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3y ago

european diseases wiped out much of the indigenous labor force

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Q: Why did europeans look to Africa for a source of labor use i the Americas?
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Why did Europeans begin relying on African labor on their plantains in the Americas?

Europeans turned to African labor for their plantations in the Americas due to the decline in native populations from diseases and harsh working conditions. Africans were seen as a more reliable and plentiful source of labor, leading to the growth of the transatlantic slave trade.


Where did europeans in the sixteenth century find a cheap labor source for work in the new world?

from the slaves in africa


What did the europeans need that made them colonize in africa and the americas?

Nothing "made Europeans colonize"; it was an active decision that they chose to do. They did this for material resources, labor resources, prestige, strategic positions, and religious evangelism.


Who replaced indentured servants?

After the decline of indentured servitude, enslaved Africans were increasingly used as a source of cheap labor in the Americas. This shift occurred as Europeans turned to the transatlantic slave trade to meet their labor needs.


Why were enslaved Africans brought to Americas?

As a source of labor


Why did Europeans begin relying on African labor for their plantations in the Americas?

Indigenous populations in the Americas had been devastated by European diseases.


Why did Spain turn to Africa to provide labor for American colonies?

Why did Spain turn to Africa to provide labor for its Americas Colonies?


How did the discovery of the Americas affect the people of Africa?

Introduced Africa to Christianity through Portuguese, A lot of weaponry were sent to Africa in exchange for slaves . As mentioned slavery increased specially in the Triangle of Trade ( weapons from Europe to Africa, slaves from Africa to America, Crops from America to Europe). After the discovery of Americas, Europeans wanted labor to farm and do the hard work for them when colonizing in America.


Why did Europeans began to seek the labor and enslaved African?

Europeans sought African labor and enslaved Africans due to the growing demand for labor in the Americas, particularly for plantations. Africans were seen as a cheap and abundant source of labor, and the transatlantic slave trade provided a way to meet this demand. The racist ideology of the time also played a role in justifying the enslavement of Africans.


How did the mistreatment and death of native Americans affect the people of Africa?

Well...think about it...if all the native Americans are mistreated and they die off, who is left to do the labor for the europeans in the Americas? The answer is no one. Therefore, Europeans had to start getting slaves from Africa b/c of the lack of healthy and working natives.


What was the main source of labor in colonial Brazil?

Europeans Japanese


Why did Europeans want slave labor?

It was to a cheap source of manpower that the Europeans couldn't satify in the European Colonies in America.