Slavery In Ancient Aztec And The Mayan Tribes Of Central And South America

Submitted By macleanjordan
Words: 344
Pages: 2

It is clear that the European society of the time did commit truly horrendous crimes upon the
Native population of these new lands. However these native tribes, including the Inca and the Mayan tribes of Central and South America are not as peaceful and calm as you make them out to be. Slavery was a common practice among the colonizers of the time, but it was also a practice of the native tribes of the time. Prisoners of war, as well as criminals would often be sold for work in conditions that although might have been more humane ("Slavery in Ancient Aztec, Mayan and Inca"), were still present and the simple act of forcing another to work for you is inhumane. Although these tribes might have also been more peaceful to each other over all then the conquering Europeans, there was a high amount of death within their own tribes. Ritualistic sacrifice was known to have taken place in the Aztec empire, and some estimates suggest as many as 84,000 were once killed during a four day period ("Slavery in Ancient Aztec, Mayan and Inca"). These tribes might have had different religious views, but they were not without violence. One of the biggest points of all may be this. While it may seem as though the Europeans conquering and slaughtering these indigenous people of South America was a horrible crime committed upon the Inca, it was. However, the reason the Inca were able to become such an advanced and rich society in the first place was due to their