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how did bartolome de las casas feel about spanish treatment of natives

by Giles Prohaska Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

While the Pope had granted Spain sovereignty over the New World, de Las Casas argued that the property rights and rights to their own labor still belonged to the native peoples. Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain.

After witnessing decades of destruction in the Americas, Fray Bartolome De Las Casas deemed the Spanish colonists' actions as unjust and contrary to their mission of converting the Natives.

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What did Bartolome de las Casas do for the natives?

 · La Casas hoped that by writing critically about the treatment of Indians by the Spaniards, the empire would change the way it viewed and treated the Indians (Las Casas, 9). He hoped that the Spanish Empire would be more humane in the way it handled the slaves. Why, after describing illness and starvation among the Indians, does Las Casas write ‘this was the …

How did Las Casas change the lives of the Indians?

 · La Casas hoped that by writing critically about the treatment of Indians by the Spaniards, the empire would change the way it viewed and treated the Indians (Las Casas, 9). He hoped that the Spanish Empire would be more humane in the way it handled the slaves. Why, after describing illness and starvation among the Indians, does Las Casas write ‘this was the …

What was Bartolome de las Casas’s Brevísima relación de la Destrucción?

Bartolomé de las Casas, sickened by the exploitation and physical degradation of the indigenous peoples in the Spanish colonies of the Caribbean, gave up his extensive land holdings and slaves and traveled to his homeland in Spain in 1515 to petition the Spanish Crown to stop the abuses that European colonists were inflicting upon the natives of the New World.

Did Bartolome de las Casas own serfs?

 · What do you think Las Casas hoped to accomplish by writing so critically about Spanish treatment of the Indians? I think he wanted freedom for the slaves despite he had been a slaves’ owner. I guess that in this period of time, when he had slaves, he noticed that the slaves were human beings like everybody and was cruel all the treatment they were receiving. He was …

How does Las Casas feel about the treatment of the Native Americans?

While the Pope had granted Spain sovereignty over the New World, de Las Casas argued that the property rights and rights to their own labor still belonged to the native peoples. Natives were subjects of the Spanish crown, and to treat them as less than human violated the laws of God, nature, and Spain.

How did Las Casas view of the treatment of Native American groups differ from the views of other Spaniards?

Las Casas viewed Native Americans in Mexico as rational beings and believed them to be open to conversion. He definitely thought the spaniards were superior to NA but he did not agree with the forceful way of converting the NA. He thought that they had to create a new way to convert the NA.

How does Bartolome de las Casas compare the character and behavior of the Indians versus the Spanish colonizers?

Las Casas portrayed the natives as naïve. They believed that the Spanish were sent from heaven, and as such treated them well until the cruelty started. Las Casas also portrays the weapons that the natives use similar to naïve boys.

What did Bartolome de las Casas believe?

Las Casas himself was appointed the first protector. Until his death, Bartolomé de las Casas, worked tirelessly to prevent the enslavement of all native people and later regretted wholeheartedly his advocacy of African slavery.

How did the Spanish treat the natives in Mexico?

The Spanish attitude toward the Indians was that they saw themselves as guardians of the Indians basic rights. The Spanish goal was for the peaceful submission of the Indians. The laws of Spain controlled the conduct of soldiers during wars, even when the tribes were hostile.

How did the Spanish interact with the natives?

Interactions with Native Americans: Spanish colonizers attempted to integrate Native Americans into Spanish culture by marrying them and converting them to Catholicism. Although some Native Americans adopted aspects of Spanish culture, others decided to rebel.

How did the Spanish treat the Tainos?

In Haiti and the Dominican Republic (which they name Hispaniola), Spanish colonists force Taino people into slave labor, mutilate them, or kill them. Columbus loads his ship with enslaved Taino people.

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What did Las Casas do to help the indigenous people?

In 1537, Las Casas wanted to try again to demonstrate that Indigenous people could be interacted with peacefully and that violence and conquest were unnecessary. He was able to persuade the crown to allow him to send missionaries to a region in north-central Guatemala where the Indigenous people had proved particularly fierce. His experiment worked, and Indigenous tribes were peacefully brought under Spanish control. The experiment was called Verapaz, or “true peace,” and the region still bears the name. Unfortunately, once the region was brought under control, colonists took the lands and enslaved these Indigenous people, undoing almost all of Las Casas’ work.

What did Las Casas believe about the enslavement of the indigenous people?

He became convinced that the enslavement and slaughter of the Indigenous population was not only a crime but also a mortal sin as defined by the Catholic Church. It was this ironclad conviction that would eventually make him such a staunch advocate for fair treatment of Indigenous peoples.

What was Las Casas's main goal in his life?

Death. Later in life, Las Casas became a prolific writer, traveled frequently between the New World and Spain, and made allies and enemies in all corners of the Spanish Empire. His "History of the Indies"—a frank account of Spanish colonialism and the subjugation of the Indigenous people—was completed in 1561.

What did Las Casas see?

The young man accompanied the governor on two different military missions aimed at pacifying Indigenous people who remained on the island. On one of these trips, Las Casas witnessed a massacre of poorly armed Indigenous people, a scene he would never forget. He traveled around the island a great deal and was able to see the deplorable conditions in which the Indigenous people lived.

How did Las Casas help the Caribbean?

Las Casas convinced Spanish authorities to allow him to try to save the few remaining Caribbean Indigenous people by freeing them from enslavement and placing them in free towns, but the death of Spain's King Ferdinand in 1516 and the resulting chaos over his successor caused these reforms to be delayed.

Why did Las Casas believe in the New World?

Las Casas agreed that God had led Spain to the New World, but he saw a different reason for it: He believed it was a test. God was testing the loyal Catholic nation of Spain to see if it could be just and merciful , and in Las Casas’ opinion, the country failed God’s test miserably.

Who was Las Casas?

Known For: Las Casas was a Spanish colonist and friar who advocated for better treatment of Indigenous peoples. Born: c. 1484 in Seville, Spain. Died: July 18, 1566 in Madrid, Spain. Published Works: A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Apologetic History of the Indies, History of the Indies.

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Why was Las Casas important?

Las Casas’s writings quickly spread around Europe and were used as humanitarian justification for other European nations to challenge Spain’s colonial empire with their own schemes of conquest and colonization.

Who was the priest who wrote about the exploitation of Native Americans?

Bartolomé de Las Casas Describes the Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples, 1542. Bartolomé de Las Casas, a Spanish Dominican priest, wrote directly to the King of Spain hoping for n ew laws to prevent the brutal exploitation of Native Americans. Las Casas’s writings quickly spread around Europe and were used as humanitarian justification ...

What are the natives capable of?

The natives are capable of Morality or Goodness and very apt to receive the principles of Catholic Religion; nor are they averse to Civility and good Manners…, I myself have heard the Spaniards themselves (who dare not assume the Confidence to deny the good Nature in them) declare, that there was nothing wanting in them for the acquisition of eternal grace, but the sole Knowledge and Understanding of the Deity….

Who was Bartolomé de Las Casas?

Bartolomé de Las Casas was an outspoken critic of the Spanish colonial government in the Americas. Las Casas was especially critical of the system of slavery in the West Indies. In 1515–16 he developed a plan for the reformation of the Indies with the help of religious reformer Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros. The plan ended in disaster, but Las Casas did not give up. Some 10 years later he commenced work on the Historia de las Indias ( History of the Indies ). Las Casas did not publish Historia in his lifetime, but he did publish a summary of Historia as a polemic. The polemic—the Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias ( A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies )—was Las Casas’s most influential work. Shortly after its publication in 1542, King Charles I passed several “New Laws” benefiting Indian serfs.

How did the controversy affect Spain?

The Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias ( A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies) had an immediate impact in Spain. The polemic was likely a key factor in King Charles I ’s decision to issue the “New Laws” in 1542. Under the New Laws, encomenderos (land grantees) were required to release the serfs on their land after the span of a single generation. The laws threatened the existence of the treasured encomienda system. Unsurprisingly, they were extremely unpopular in the Americas and were met with much resistance.

What was the treatment of Native Americans by the Spanish?

Spanish treatment of the Native Americans was poor. Spanish explorers considered the natives inferior. Consequently, they forcibly converted natives to Christianity, confined them to slavery and murdered them. In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived on the island of Hispaniola.

How did the Spanish exploit natives?

Spanish exploitation of native populations gradually moved westward, as the explorers continued their quest for silver, gold and other valuable natural resources. They continued their inhumane treatment of native populations in South America, and eventually moved north into North America. In addition to forcing the native populations into slavery, the Spanish explorers forced them to convert to Christianity. Those who resisted were punished by a system called encomienda, in which natives were assigned to settlers through land grants as part of a deal. When settlers claimed a piece of land, they were also given a group of natives with it. The natives forcibly worked the land by planting crops and mining for the landowners. This allowed the settlers to maintain control over the natives without enslaving them.

What did Christopher Columbus do to the natives?

The sailors were ordered to treat the natives humanely, and they were to be considered equal. The queen ordered the natives to be converted to Christianity and taught European behaviors. However, she did not authorize slavery. Columbus defied those orders, which eventually led to tensions between the explorers and the Spanish government.

What happened to the natives of the Caribbean after Columbus's landing?

In the 20 years following Columbus's landing on Hispaniola, Spanish explorers extended their reach to other Caribbean islands. Native populations in Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Cuba were also forced into slavery.

What did Columbus do to the natives?

Columbus also forced native men to collect gold and return it to the sailors. If the men did not reach their 90-day quota, they were punished by death. In addition to the unethical practices that the explorers launched against the natives, they also brought diseases with them from Europe.

What did the Spanish government do in 1500?

In 1500, the Spanish government sent a ship to the New World and demanded Columbus's return to Spain.

Who was the priest who advocated for better treatment of the natives?

Believing that the Laws of Burgos were still too harsh, Bartolome de Las Casas, another priest, advocated for better treatment of the natives.

Early Life

First Trip to The Americas

  • In 1502, Las Casas finally went to see the family holdings in Hispaniola. By then, the Indigenous peoples of the island had been mostly subdued, and the city of Santo Domingowas being used as a resupply point for Spanish incursions in the Caribbean. The young man accompanied the governor on two different military missions aimed at pacifying Indigenous people who remaine…
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The Colonial Enterprise and Mortal Sin

  • Over the next few years, Las Casas traveled to Spain and back several times, finishing his studies and learning more about the sad situation of the Indigenous peoples. By 1514, he decided that he could no longer be personally involved in their exploitation and renounced his family holdings in Hispaniola. He became convinced that the enslavement and slaughter of the Indigenous populat…
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First Experiments

  • Las Casas convinced Spanish authorities to allow him to try to save the few remaining Caribbean Indigenous people by freeing them from enslavement and placing them in free towns, but the death of Spain's King Ferdinand in 1516 and the resulting chaos over his successor caused these reforms to be delayed. Las Casas also asked for and received a sect...
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The Verapaz Experiment

  • In 1537, Las Casas wanted to try again to demonstrate that Indigenous people could be interacted with peacefully and that violence and conquest were unnecessary. He was able to persuade the crown to allow him to send missionaries to a region in north-central Guatemalawhere the Indigenous people had proved particularly fierce. His experiment worked, and Indigenous tribes …
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Death

  • Later in life, Las Casas became a prolific writer, traveled frequently between the New World and Spain, and made allies and enemies in all corners of the Spanish Empire. His "History of the Indies"—a frank account of Spanish colonialism and the subjugation of the Indigenous people—was completed in 1561. Las Casas spent his final years living at the College of San Gre…
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Legacy

  • Las Casas’ early years were marked by his struggle to come to terms with the horrors he had seen and his understanding of how God could allow this kind of suffering among the Indigenous peoples. Many of his contemporaries believed that God had delivered the New World to Spain as a reward of sorts to encourage the Spanish to continue to wage war upon heresy and idolatry as d…
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Sources

  1. Casas, Bartolomé de las, and Francis Sullivan. "Indian Freedom: the Cause of Bartolomé De Las Casas, 1484-1566: A Reader." Sheed & Ward, 1995.
  2. Casas, Bartolomé de las. "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies." Penguin Classics, 2004.
  3. Nabokov, Peter. “Indians, Slaves, and Mass Murder: The Hidden History.” The New York Revie…
  1. Casas, Bartolomé de las, and Francis Sullivan. "Indian Freedom: the Cause of Bartolomé De Las Casas, 1484-1566: A Reader." Sheed & Ward, 1995.
  2. Casas, Bartolomé de las. "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies." Penguin Classics, 2004.
  3. Nabokov, Peter. “Indians, Slaves, and Mass Murder: The Hidden History.” The New York Review of Books, 24 Nov. 2016.

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