Captivity and servitude of 'Chichimeca' Indians in New Spain 1570- 1770

Abstract

To offer a panoramic view, this text describes how Indians of Northern New Spain were captured and deported to distant territories during the years 1570- 1770. They were partly sedentary, hunters and gatherers. Although being distinctively diverse, they were generally called chichimecas. The separation of families is interesting for labor history, since the men were forced to work in mines, haciendas and obrajes, while women and children were sent to domestic service and transported far away, even to the center of the viceroyalty. Parting on baptismal records one observes the presence of women and children, recently arrived from “tierra de infieles” at the capital of New Spain and other cities. The article proposes that the commerce with captives was a real business and that the facto enslavement of Northern Indians who worked in cities of New Spain needs more attention of the historians.