Christianity and slavery: discussions concerning the evangelization of slaves in Spanish America

Abstract

The conversion of the Africans to Christianity was a long process that began in Africa and concluded in the New World. The religious protection and the health of the soul of the slave, was, for the slave owner and the State, a permanent obligation. But carrying out this moral obligation involved a multitude of factors: Spaniards did not know African languages, massive numbers arrived at the principal ports of entry, contraband of slaves, a lack of ecclesiastic control due to the lack of priests and missionaries and non compliance on the part of slave owners. All of this meant that the Christianization of the slaves occurred with less rigor than with the Indians, whose conversion to Christianity was a priority during all stages of the conquest and colonization. In the essay that follows, I hope to show some aspects of this problem by studying the legislation, the ecclesiastic precepts, as well as the customs followed in the distinct places of destination of the African slaves. I have also attempted to focus this theme in the area of the River Plate and, accordingly, the paper is based on edited documentary sources in addition to documentation found in the National Archive of Argentina and the Archive of the Indies, in Spain.