Question

what was a major difference between the spanish encomienda system and the spanish caste system in the americas?
a the encomienda system privileged people of spanish descent, while in the caste system people of indigenous descent had political power.
b the encomienda system relied on the support of the catholic church, while the caste system was opposed by the catholic church.
c the encomienda system required inequality, while the caste system assumed social equality.
d the encomienda system was based on using native americans for forced labor, while the caste system was based on a diverse and racially mixed population.

Explanation:

The encomienda system in the Americas was a labor - extraction system where Native Americans were forced to work for Spanish encomenderos. The caste system was a social hierarchy based on race and ethnicity in the diverse, racially - mixed population of Spanish - controlled Americas. Option A is incorrect as indigenous people had little political power in the caste system. Option B is wrong since the Catholic Church was involved in both systems and did not oppose the caste system. Option C is incorrect because the caste system was also based on inequality.

Answer:

D. The encomienda system was based on using Native Americans for forced labor, while the caste system was based on a diverse and racially mixed population.