Which economic activity was NOT a characteristic of the Spanish colonial economy?

The correct response indicates that industrial manufacturing was not a characteristic of the Spanish colonial economy. Spanish colonies primarily engaged in activities such as mining and agriculture, where they exploited resource-heavy economies by extracting precious metals like silver and establishing agricultural farms primarily for cash crops like sugar and tobacco. The Encomienda system also played a crucial role, as it allowed Spanish settlers to receive land and control over indigenous labor, which facilitated large-scale agricultural production and resource extraction.

In contrast, industrial manufacturing did not emerge as a significant economic activity in Spanish colonies during this period. The Spanish colonial economy was largely focused on resource extraction and agricultural production rather than developing a manufacturing sector that characterized later economic systems in different colonial contexts. This distinction highlights the predominantly exploitative nature of the Spanish colonial economy, which was centered around immediate resource extraction rather than building an industrialized infrastructure.