From Allies to Litigants: Natives and Labor in Tlaxcala

Colonialism is a crucial part of history around the world.  Mesoamerica is no exception.  My focus is on colonial Tlaxcala, a critical area of New Spain that was a complex juncture between Europeans and native peoples who responded to Spanish aggression, such as the imposition of exploitative labor systems, with violence, flight, and litigation.  I contend that while the Tlaxcalan alliance with Spanish conquerors gave natives, particularly the noble class, political and economic leverage, the native labor force that provided the manpower to work the land and build colonial towns turned to the Spanish imposed legal system to contest the burden placed upon them.  I argue that natives maintained some level of autonomy well into the late seventeenth century as demonstrated by recurring litigation initiated by native plaintiffs from different places in Tlaxcala.  

My paper examines the dynamic nature of colonial society that made the interconnected experiences of natives from all socioeconomic classes significant since nobles defended laborers in court, made labor arrangements with them, or exploited them in similar ways as the Spanish.  Moreover, laborers grew adept at representing themselves in court as the colonial period wore on since their labor was in high demand and Spanish settlers encroached upon their land.  In addition, the presence of African slaves influenced the argumentation of indigenous litigants.  Plaintiffs made compelling arguments in which they defined their right to freedom based on the fact that they were not enslaved. The legal system functioned as a battleground for natives, but it also represented a form of control.  However, the indigenous population chose to interpret the courts as a legitimate tool at their disposal and in the process transformed the colonial experience.