, ▁African , ▁and ▁Christian ▁sla very ▁in ▁Spain . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁ 7 . 4 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁Se ville , ▁Spain ▁were ▁slaves . ▁Many ▁histor ians ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁Renaissance ▁and ▁early - mod ern ▁Spain ▁had ▁the ▁highest ▁amount ▁of ▁African ▁slaves ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colonial ists ▁decided ▁to ▁use ▁it ▁for ▁commercial ▁production ▁and ▁min ing ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁trad ing ▁networks . ▁The ▁native ▁Indian ▁population ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁this ▁labor ▁but ▁they ▁died ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁war , ▁dise ases , ▁explo itation ▁and ▁social ▁dis ru ptions . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁labor ▁expanded , ▁such ▁as ▁for ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁sugar c ane . ▁The ▁problem ▁of ▁the ▁just ness ▁of ▁Indian ▁sla very ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁issue ▁for ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Crown . ▁Bart ol om é ▁de ▁las ▁Cas as ▁was ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁n atives ▁and ▁argued ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 6 ▁that ▁white ▁and ▁black ▁slaves ▁should ▁be ▁imported ▁to ▁the ▁Ind ies ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Amer ind ians . ▁African ▁slaves ▁did ▁have ▁certain ▁advantages ▁over ▁native ▁slaves ▁as ▁being ▁resist ant ▁to ▁European ▁dise ases ▁and ▁more ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁agricult ural ▁techniques . ▁This ▁preference ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁S lave ▁Trade . ▁▁ ▁It ▁was ▁Charles ▁V ▁who ▁gave ▁a ▁definite ▁answer ▁to ▁this