To be a Vassal of the Spanish King: A History of Belonging in an Emergent Global Economy, 1565-1700

My project examines the web of social connections which resulted from an emerging global economy that was centered around the movement and production of silver. I focus on the experiences of the diverse peoples of the Americas, Africa and Asia, who saw themselves displaced or enslaved within the new socio-economic formations and brought into contact with one another. In particular, I examine the role of vassalage, i.e., how these diverse peoples were able to contest enslavement and coercion, forge lives of dignity and solidarity, and help constitute a society where they could belong— as vassals of the king in an interconnected world.