AGRICULTURE IN THE NEW SPAIN: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, CROPS - HISTORY - 2024

The agriculture in the New Spain was one of the activities on which the economy of the colony was based. It was based on the processes of extraction, transformation and distribution of natural resources.

It emerged in the first period of the Colony, in the middle of the 16th century. It was a period of considerable change; Two traditional models of agriculture merged that the native farmers had to assimilate, learning to use new technologies, tools and working methods.

Cocoa was one of the most developed crops in New Spain. Source: pixabay.com

European animals and plants had to adapt to different climatic conditions and environments, as well as to the millenary way of working of Mesoamericans, a product of processes of biological, cultural and social adaptation.

In this way, the process of the Conquest gave an important turn to the economic activity of pre-Hispanic America. Once colonized, the territories assumed the model of the productive economy of New Spain.

Its importance lay in the fact that its production was aimed at generating food for the population and for livestock.

Likewise, thanks to the large number of products that they exported to Europe (wood, tomato, cocoa, avocado and vanilla, among others), agriculture generated significant income for the Spanish Crown.

New Spain enjoyed a good climate and fertile land, ideal for the introduction of totally new crops such as coffee, cane, sugar and cereals, among others. Products such as cotton had a great impact on production, since it was used as a raw material for the textile industry.

Origin

Colonization produced the destruction of indigenous peoples and the ancient capital of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlán. Mexico City was founded, which had more European characteristics and was the new capital of the viceroyalty of New Spain.

This new population was made up of new institutions such as churches, encomiendas and town halls. In approximately 1536 the viceroyalty of New Spain managed to cover extensive territories in Central America as well as in the central and southern United States, as well as in much of the Antilles.

Start unnoticed

Agriculture did not have an initial importance for the Spanish conquerors, since they focused their attention on mining to obtain wealth. Both agriculture and livestock were only used for self-consumption and not for trade.

However, when realizing that the growth of mining could not be sustained without agriculture and livestock, some ranches and farms were installed near the mining operations that met the nutritional needs of the population.

Already in the 18th century agriculture became an activity of great importance in America. As the population grew, so did the demand for food products. Large land exploitations were carried out, which began to acquire value and productivity.

The food trade spread to Europe and the East, large estates were purchased, and new laws were enacted related to land tenure and exploitation.

Characteristics and main crops

With the importance that agriculture began to gain, the study of the soils began, verifying the quality of the land in relation to its fertility for the sowing of each seed. From this it was concluded that the yellow soils were the most fertile for cultivation in general.

Although agriculture in New Spain was seasonal, there used to be some years of good harvests and others in which the drought produced food shortages for the population. Therefore, it was necessary to improve the land through new technologies.

New processes of preparing the land for crops were started, such as weeding, breaking up soils, building platforms and burning fields. Fertilizers with plants, wood, manure and alluvium were also applied, which were made to improve the quality of the crops.

With agricultural growth, the plow became an important part of this activity as a complement and a way to facilitate the work.

Water

Water as an essential element in the fertilization of the land gained importance through irrigation. New irrigation and spraying technologies were created, both manual and from systems designed for special crops of corn, chili and some vegetables.

Wooden or stone channels, pipes, ditches, drains and ditches were created, with levels, gates and pumps to control the conduction and flow of water towards the land.

Ponds, jagüeyes, cisterns and other reservoirs of water from wells and springs were also created, and seedlings or seedbeds were made.

Land tenure

Agriculture came to have direct relations with the Church, since it granted the credits that were needed for planting.

Systems of land tenure, production, consumption and exchange, and the exploitation of labor acquired new characteristics. Spain takes possession and dominion of the territories after a cultural and spiritual conquest that facilitated the imperial penetration.

There were constant disputes over land tenure. The Spanish created laws to deprive the indigenous of their territories: they left only communal and inherited property as special cases of tenure that favored the indigenous.

Most important crops

The main crops in New Spain were cocoa, tobacco, wheat, cotton, scarlet, abacus, silk, and indigo, among others.

The sowing of wheat and some type of maize was more frequent in temperate zones; For their part, sugarcane and cocoa were planted in warmer areas.

Fruit trees and orchards were introduced from the Old World, adapting them to New Spain agriculture. Some of these trees were avocado, vines, citron, orange, peach, fig, quince, sapote, olive, capulines and land apples or tejocotes.

The indigenous people continued with their ancestral production, such as the cultivation of beans, squash, tomato, chili and corn, always with the basic levels to satisfy their own consumption.

Used tools

The indigenous population used rudimentary farming tools. For their part, the Spanish used a great variety of agricultural instruments.

Among these implements, the swift and the plowshare stood out. The latter was a tool through which the ground was cut horizontally.

Also highlights the yoke, which was used to bind oxen. Other essential tools were the following:

-Oak paddles and levers.

-Podaderas.

-Escardillos or sachuelos.

-Escadores.

-Axes.

References

1. "History of Mexico 1. New Spanish Economy" at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. CCH Academic Portal. Retrieved on April 27, 2019 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. CCH Academic Portal: portalacademico.cch.unam.mx
2. "The Colony or the Viceroyalty in Mexico (1521-1810)" in Unknown Mexico. Retrieved on April 28, 2019 from Unknown Mexico: mexicodesconocido.com.mx
3. "Colonial Spanish America 16th, 17th and 18th centuries at Universidad Pontificia Católica de Chile. Retrieved on April 29, 2019 from Universidad Pontificia Católica de Chile: 7.uc.cl
4. "La América Colonial" in Digital Magazine of History and Social Sciences. Retrieved on April 28, 2019 from the Digital Journal of History and Social Sciences: classhistoria.com
5. "Agriculture and livestock" in Ilce digital library. Retrieved on April 28, 2019 from Ilce's digital library: Bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx
6. "Nahua agriculture in the 16th century" in Ciencia ergo sum. Retrieved on April 28, 2019 from Ciencia ergo sum: redalyc.org