High School

Which of the following was not a notable feature of sixteenth-century Spanish America?

A. Indians were compelled to work, either as slaves or as wage laborers, in gold and silver mines or on large haciendas.
B. The Spanish crown took initially little interest in the administration of colonial affairs.
C. A Black Legend regarding the harshness of Spanish colonial rule spread across the Atlantic world.
D. A blending of Indian and Spanish culture gradually took root.

Answer :

Final answer:

The sixteenth-century Spanish America was characterized by the significant involvement of the Spanish Crown in colonial administration, compelling Indians to work under harsh conditions, spreading the Black Legend of colonial cruelty, and the blending of Indian and Spanish cultures. So, option B is correct.

Explanation:

The statement that was not a notable feature of the sixteenth-century Spanish America is 'The Spanish crown took initially little interest in the administration of colonial affairs.' In reality, the Spanish Crown, along with the clergy and other colonial institutions, took a significant interest in the administration and governance of colonial affairs from the outset. This involved the establishment of a colonial bureaucracy, implementation of the encomienda system, levying high taxes on labor and mining, and attempts to rectify the abuses of native peoples.

Indians were indeed compelled to work, suffering under the encomienda system, which subjected them to labor in mines and haciendas. The Black Legend spread across the Atlantic, portraying the harshness of Spanish colonial rule. Additionally, a blending of cultures between Indian and Spanish did gradually take root, particularly as the Spanish imposed their social hierarchy on the New World. So, option B is correct.

Answer:

Option: B.The Spanish crown took initially little interest in the administration of colonial affairs.

Explanation:

In the 16th century, the Spanish colonies like Mexico City, Lima, and Vera Cruz were producing goods for their consumption rather than depending on trading with Spain, which took a long time to reach the colonies. The Spanish crown wanted the colonies to remain as colonies and depended upon their motherland. So, it would be wrong to say that the Spanish crown little interest in the colonies.