How did slavery in Latin America compare with slavery in British North America?

African American slavery in Latin America actually
predated slavery in North America and was, incredibly, more cruel. The key component of
slavery in the Americas was the production of Cane Sugar. The sugar revolution began
shortly after the Crusades; and there was an insatiable market for it in Europe.
Production of sugar cane is labor intensive, and African slaves seemed the natural
answer to the problem. Sugar was grown extensively in the Islands of Latin America and
more especially in Brazil. Although slavery was cruel and inhumane in all areas, in
Latin America, slaves were considered a commodity rather than a capital asset. Slaves in
Latin America had a shorter lifespan than those in North America, and were worked and
beaten much more severely. The average lifespan for a slave in Brazil was five to seven
years. Ironically, there was not the racial bias in that area that one finds in North
American slavery. Latin Americans of European descent, particularly the Portuguese in
Brazil, often intermarried with former slaves. Creoles, who were the result of these
unions, were normally members of the upper crust of society. Two sources you might
consider are Generations of Captivity by Ira Lambert; and
Slave and Citizenby Frank Tannenbaum.