Black ladino


Black Ladinos were Hispanicized black Ladinos, exiled to Spanish America after having spent time in Spain.
They were referred to as negros ladinos, as opposed to negros bozales.

History

Prior to the arrival of Columbus to the Americas, there were Black people who either lived as free men, were brought through the Arab slave trade, or the Castilian or Portuguese colonization of Africa.
After some time in Spanish society, those Africans became Christianized and learned Spanish.
There were 50,000 Black Ladinos in Spain in the 15th century.
After the initial stages of the Spanish colonization of the Americas showed that Amerindians were not suitable for the labour that the conquerors required, Nicolás de Ovando decided to bring slaves from Spain.
Between 1502 and 1518, Castile exiled hundreds of black slaves, primarily to work as miners. Opponents of their enslavement cited their Christian faith and their repeated attempts of escape to the mountains or to join the Native Americans in revolt. Proponents declared that the rapid diminution of the Native American population required a consistent supply of reliable low-cost workers. Free Spaniards were reluctant to do manual labor or to remain settled, and only slave labor assured the economic viability of the colonies.

Examples