ABSTRACT
Imports fell in the second half of the seventeenth century and continued to decline until Mexico’s abolition of slavery in 1829. Because of the low visibility of blacks and blackness in Mexico, it is often assumed that Africans were a minor presence in colonial Mexico. In fact, they had a tremendous impact on New Spain’s demography, economy, and social life. Until 1640, more African slaves were imported to Mexico than to any other part of Spanish America. The first African slave to arrive in Mexico was one Juan Cortés, who accompanied Hernan Cortes in 1519. The following viceregal mandate concerning African slaves provides information on a number of dimensions of their lives. Curiously, the ordinance focuses only on the activities of certain types of slave laborers and makes no mention of workers in other domains.
