What agricultural system replaced the encomienda system in Spanish colonies?

The plantation system is recognized as the agricultural system that replaced the encomienda system in Spanish colonies. The encomienda system was a labor system that granted Spanish colonists the right to extract labor from Indigenous people in return for supposed protection and the promotion of Christianity. However, as the demand for cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton grew, the plantation system emerged as a more profitable and scalable method of agricultural production.

This system was characterized by large estates that relied on the intensive labor of enslaved Africans and Indigenous populations. Plantations were often established in the Caribbean and the southern parts of North America, reflecting the economic transformation of Spanish colonies towards agriculture suited for exportation.

The shift to the plantation system allowed for the cultivation of these cash crops while also facilitating the slave trade, marking a significant change in the labor dynamics and economic organization of the colonies. It underscored the increased reliance on enslaved labor, which became a critical part of the Atlantic economy.