The Blood of the Nopal: A Case of Indigenous Cochineal Cultivation from 1521-1796
Humanities
HIS 190X:The Atlantic World, 1492-1824
This paper focuses on how the dye, cochineal, became one of the most traded commodities in the Atlantic world starting in 1521. By investigating cultivation methods and sources detailing Indigenous cochineal cultivation and the monetary freedom it gave said cultivators, we see how cochineal differed from other mass-produced commodities in Colonial Spain. Along with this, the story of cochineal also shows how valuable Indigenous labor was to the success of this global commodity.
