The censo was a financial instrument in colonial Spanish America, where landowners could mortgage their estates to religious institutions, providing them with a steady income while the landowners received a lump sum or annuity.

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The Censo Was a

Question 39

Multiple Choice

The censo was a

A) royal audit of colonial resources upon which tax assessments were based.
B) colonial head count of indigenous peoples for purposes of tribute assessment.
C) civil settlement designed to facilitate Spanish imperial expansion.
D) common method for landowners to endow religious institutions by mortgaging estates.

Correct Answer: