Although European colonization and the subsequent development of the transatlantic slave trade system from 1490 to 1750 left many social and political continuities such as the constant mistreatment of slaves, it led to many political and social changes such as the rise of the French in the West Indies. During this time period, the Spanish held the most land in the Americas, thus holding most of the power, but newcomers such as the French and Dutch came to power later, taking much land away from the Spanish. During the years 1490-1550, certain factors contributed to Spain's rise in the Americas. First, the Treaty of Tordesillas ordered by the pope in 1494 gave the most advantageous lands to the Spanish, such as the lands of the Incas and Aztecs. This led to increased production of products such as sugar and silver, arguably the two most influential products of the time behind slaves. This also showed how the Pope still held power in politics, dividing lands between countries to resolve conflicts. The rise of the Spanish continued into the next century, from 1550 to 1650, but also gave way to the Portuguese. The Portuguese conquered lands in Brazil and concentrated on sugar cultivation in the area. They put into practice a feudal system on the sugar plantations, very similar to those established in Europe before the plague. This is important because it shows how the feudal system was used to place selected lords above the workers. This is a continuity that can be traced back to before the Black Death, which shows how important it was for elites to have power over the poor. In addition to the use of slaves, natives were also enslaved for labor purposes. The village elders developed a draft system for choosing who would work for the Europeans. In this… middle of paper… until 1550, the English still faced resistance, but this time thanks to the additional efforts of both the French and the natives. These two groups greatly despised the English, and their alliance demonstrated how native help could benefit newly arrived Indians. Moving forward to the 1650s, slaves and natives took up arms in places like Panama and other European settlements, making it so dangerous to import slaves that the government banned slave imports into the area. This is significant because it disrupted the economies of Europe and the Americas as slaves would die due to the harsh conditions but there were no slaves to replace them. This also led to the increase in flight rather than fighting, where slaves left plantations or factories to run for the hills. This is important because it proved to be a less dangerous way for slaves to gain freedom.