In the late 1500’s Mexico became a nation centered around Afro-Mexican slaves. The first slaves arrived in modern day Mexico with Christopher Columbus. Originally bringing only male slaves to do necessary labor in the new world, slaves soon began to intermarry with local women to create the Afro-Mexican culture that is still present in Mexico to this very day. They worked for their masters, some whom were kind, some not as friendly. For some, they were fine with the life they had, for others there was nothing more they wanted then to escape the evil of their masters. Afro-Mexicans who faced unethical treatment from their owners were protected as humans, and were protected by the different authorities of the church, protected by their witchcraft
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Owners sole purpose for owning a slave was to have them preform free labor, which various owners did various ways. Some owners allowed their slaves to live freely and live an almost free life while paying the owners. Since slave owners held the legal rights of the slaves as their property, they were free to do what they wanted with them as evident in Christians, Blasphemers, and Witches, “Masters… enjoyed the benefits of officially sanctioned power and authority, and they often expressed this authority through violence,” (115). These actions drove slaves into making claims such as renouncing god or turning to witchcraft. In some cases, they were protected by the church like Juan Cortes, or turning to witchcraft as a way to prove their relationship, and some were even able to break into the wage laborer caste. While an improvement in their lives or well being, in which “people had considerable freedom… and even lived and worked away from their owners,” (115). While a better life, slaves still faced the authority of owners as “Laborers could be bound to employers… [laborers] could lose their freedom for periods of time while serving labor sentences,” (115). While they may not have been able to escape the authority of ownership, slaves could try to better their lives as wage
Owners sole purpose for owning a slave was to have them preform free labor, which various owners did various ways. Some owners allowed their slaves to live freely and live an almost free life while paying the owners. Since slave owners held the legal rights of the slaves as their property, they were free to do what they wanted with them as evident in Christians, Blasphemers, and Witches, “Masters… enjoyed the benefits of officially sanctioned power and authority, and they often expressed this authority through violence,” (115). These actions drove slaves into making claims such as renouncing god or turning to witchcraft. In some cases, they were protected by the church like Juan Cortes, or turning to witchcraft as a way to prove their relationship, and some were even able to break into the wage laborer caste. While an improvement in their lives or well being, in which “people had considerable freedom… and even lived and worked away from their owners,” (115). While a better life, slaves still faced the authority of owners as “Laborers could be bound to employers… [laborers] could lose their freedom for periods of time while serving labor sentences,” (115). While they may not have been able to escape the authority of ownership, slaves could try to better their lives as wage