The tlacohtin, or slaves, occupied the bottom of the Mexica social order, but slavery in Mexica society was not the same as chattel slavery in the European and American sense. Slaves had legal rights, they could own property, and they could purchase their freedom. Most slaves were criminals, debtors, or war captives, and the children of slaves were not automatically enslaved. The Mexica had a clear distinction between several kinds of slaves, each with a different legal status, and the condition of slavery was generally considered to be temporary rather than permanent.
The Categories of Slaves
The Mexica distinguished between several kinds of slaves, each with a different legal status. The most common kind of slave was the war captive, who was enslaved after being captured in war. The war captive was at the mercy of his captor, and he could be sacrificed, sold, or held in servitude. The second kind of slave was the criminal, who was sentenced to slavery for a particular crime. The criminal slave was required to work for his owner for a specified period of time, and he was freed when the period was over.
The third kind of slave was the debtor, who was enslaved for failing to pay a debt. The debtor slave was also required to work for his creditor, and he was freed when the debt was paid. The Mexica also had a fourth kind of slave, the slave by birth, who was born to slave parents. The slave by birth was required to work for the owner of the parents, and he was freed at the same time as the parents.
The Rights of Slaves
Slaves in Mexica society had important rights, despite their formal subordination. They could marry, they could own property, and they could purchase their freedom. They could also rise in social status, and some slaves became important figures in the Mexica state. The institution of slavery was not considered to be a permanent or hereditary condition, and most slaves were eventually freed.
The Mexica had a series of laws that protected the rights of slaves, and the slave owners were required to respect these laws. The slave owners could not mistreat their slaves, and they were required to provide them with food, clothing, and shelter. The slave owners could also not sell their slaves to a foreign master, and they could not separate families by selling individual members. The Mexica had a sophisticated system of legal protections for slaves, and the system was enforced by the judges and the Cihuacoatl.
The Social Mobility of Slaves
Slaves in Mexica society had several avenues of social mobility. They could purchase their freedom, and they could also earn their freedom through distinguished service. The Mexica believed that the slaves shaped the social order, and they provided the slaves with opportunities to rise in the social hierarchy.
The most successful slaves could rise to the nobility through distinguished service, particularly in the military. The Mexica believed that the slaves who had served their masters faithfully were worthy of the freedom and the honors of the Mexica state, and they were often given positions of responsibility in the household or in the community.
The Decline of Slavery
The institution of slavery in Mexica society was gradually transformed by the Spanish conquest. The Spanish imposed their own system of slavery, which was more rigid and more exploitative than the Mexica system. The Spanish also introduced new sources of slaves, including the indigenous people who were captured in wars of conquest, and the Africans who were brought to the Americas by the slave trade.
The Mexican War of Independence in the early nineteenth century led to the abolition of slavery in Mexico, and the Mexican Constitution of 1824 prohibited the institution of slavery. The abolition of slavery in Mexico was an important step in the development of the Mexican national identity, and it has been celebrated as a symbol of Mexican commitment to freedom and equality.
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