What term describes a grant of land made by Spain to a settler in the Americas, which included the right to use Native Americans as laborers?

The term that describes a grant of land made by Spain to a settler in the Americas, which included the right to use Native Americans as laborers, is known as "encomienda." This system was established during the colonization of the Americas, particularly in the 16th century. Under the encomienda system, Spanish settlers were given land along with the authority to demand labor from the indigenous population living on that land. This arrangement aimed to promote agricultural development and extract resources in the New World while providing some protection and the promise of religious instruction to the Native Americans.

The encomienda was significant because it reflected the Spanish crown's policy towards colonization, incorporating economic exploitation of Native peoples while justifying it under the pretense of protection and conversion to Christianity. It essentially facilitated the establishment of a colonial economy reliant on forced labor and laid the groundwork for the socio-economic hierarchies that characterized colonial society.

Other terms, such as vice royalty, plantation, and concession, do not accurately portray this specific system of land and labor in the context of Spanish colonization. Vice royalty refers to a high-ranking political authority in colonial administration, plantations are large agricultural estates typically associated with cash crops and labor systems in the Americas, while a concession typically involves