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what role did las casas religion play on spains treatment of natives

by Leilani Adams IV Published 2 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.

Like many other Spanish missionaries who had traveled to America and experienced the brutality of the conquest, Las Casas became an advocate for the Indians and a critic of the brutal exploitation of indigenous slave labor and the lack of serious religious instruction.

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What did Las Casas do to help the natives?

Las Casas convinced Spanish authorities to allow him to try to save the few remaining Caribbean natives by taking them out of slavery 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 God led Spain to the New World?

Las Casas agreed that God had led Spain to the New World, but he saw a different reason: He thought 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, it was failing God’s test miserably.

What can we learn from Las Casas’ theology?

But las Casas’ theological insights went far beyond a simple affirmation of the Indians’ human dignity. In their sufferings, he argued, the Indians truly represented the crucified Christ. So he wrote, “I leave in the Indies Jesus Christ, our God, scourged and afflicted and beaten and crucified not once, but thousands of times.”

What was the impact of Las Casas on Spain?

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

He argued for the equal humanity and natural rights of the Native Americans. Las Casas worked for the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity and for their better treatment. Pope Paul III agreed and issued an edict in 1537 banning the enslavement of Native Americans.

Why did Bartolome de las Casas help the natives?

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 new laws to prevent the brutal exploitation of Native Americans.

How did the Spaniards treat the natives?

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.

What are de las Casas main arguments about the Spaniards?

De Las Casas argued to the Spanish King that his agents, the conquistadors, were brutalizing native peoples and that those actions were destroying the Spanish as well as the natives.

Who was Bartolome de las Casas quizlet?

Who was he? a Spanish born Dominican friar and writer who advocated for the humane treatment of the Native Americans.

What did the Spanish do to the natives in Mexico?

At first, Spaniards destroyed Mexican culture(civilizations, heritage buildings). They slaughtered many natives and took lots of resources, such as silver and gold from Mexico, however, they never gave anything in return. Spain made Encomienda system and enslaved natives.

How did the Spanish treat the people conquered?

How did the Spanish treat the peoples they conquered? Badly, forced them into "encomienda" made natives farm, ranch, or mine for Spanish landlords.

What was one of the results of Las Casas complaint?

Las Casas's father had sailed on Columbus's second voyage, and he himself had participated in the conquest of Cuba. But in 1514 Las Casas freed his own Indian slaves and began to preach against the injustices of Spanish rule. Las Casas's writings denounced Spain for causing the death of millions of innocent people.

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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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.

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.

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 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 was the first action that Columbus took?

After discovering the natives, one of the first actions Columbus took was enslaving them. He shipped hundreds of slaves back to Spain, which infuriated Queen Isabella, who demanded their return to Hispaniola. Columbus also forced native men to collect gold and return it to the sailors.

What did De Las Casas argue about the property rights of the native peoples?

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. He told King Ferdinand that in 1515 scores of ...

What does De Las Casas say about the Taino?

De Las Casas relates God-given justice to the atrocities of the Spanish, and reveals the true motivations of the conquistadors.

Why did the Conquistadors subjugate the Spanish people?

Conquistadors subjugated populations primarily to garner personal economic wealth, and Natives little understood the nature of the conquest. As early as 1522 Bartolome de Las Casas worked to denounce these activities on political, economic, moral, and religious grounds by chronicling the actions of the conquistadors for the Spanish court.

What did the Conquistadors do to the Spanish?

Their actions imperiled Spain’s role as Protector of the Faith and infringed upon the role of the Spanish king as sovereign to the indigenous Americans.

Which kingdom does De Las Casas describe?

In this excerpt de Las Casas describes one of the kingdoms of Hispaniola, Magua, and gives eye witness descriptions of the kingdom’s geography.

What was the Spanish hunger for gold in the 16th century?

In order to understand the Spanish hunger for gold in the 16th century, one must recognize the Spanish treasure fleet system . Spain at this time had a strong navy but no real industry within the country, and so she had to buy all her goods from other nations, making gold and silver very important.

Who argued for more humane treatment of Native Americans in the Spanish New World colonies?

Using excerpts from A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, published in 1552, students will explore in this lesson how Bartolome de Las Casas (1484–1566) argued for more humane treatment of Native Americans in the Spanish New World colonies. In the first excerpt students will look at the author’s general description of the actions ...

What was the system of Indians that was devised to deal with the Indians?

If they refused, they could be forced to comply. Many did resist and a system was devised to deal with them. It was known as the encomienda. Under this system Indians were regarded as part of the land: When land grants were made to settlers, the native inhabitants became a part of the grant.

When did Christopher Columbus land on Hispaniola?

NATIVE AMERICANS, TREATMENT OF ( SPAIN VS. ENGLAND) (ISSUE) When Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492, he met natives there. When this was reported to Queen Isabella of Spain, she immediately decreed that the natives (Indians as the Spanish would call them) were her subjects and were morally equal to all her other ...

Who was the Puritan who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1631?

Like the Spanish priests who were appalled at the treatment of the Indians, some English observers also spoke out. Roger Williams, a Separatist Puritan who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1631, charged that the English had no right to occupy land that the Indians were already living on.

Did the North American Indians die out as rapidly as their native peoples of the Caribbean?

This intermingling, however, did not produce the same results as that of the Spaniards. The North American Indians did not die out as rapidly as their native peoples of the Caribbean and the English, who came in families, did not inter-marry with the Indians as frequently as the Spaniards.

What did the Spanish soldiers do in Tenochtitlan?

The Spanish soldiers responsible for the conquest of Tenochtitlan–along with thousands of new Spanish adventurers who emigrated in the century following the Conquest–took little interest in working the land, preferring instead to set out northward in search of gold and other riches in the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola.

What was Carlos V's mission?

His personal mission as an agent of the Vatican was the ardent pursuit of souls for salvation. At that time the Church’s organization was divided into two distinct branches.

What diseases did the Spaniards have?

Others succumbed to new diseases introduced by the Spaniards: smallpox, measles, plague, tuberculosis, and even the common cold.

What were the similarities between the Aztecs and the Spaniards?

There were in fact certain similarities in doctrines and rituals that facilitated matters. Human sacrifice–a practice the Spaniards found particularly abhorrent–predisposed the Aztecs to readily accept the concept of consuming the body and blood of Christ in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

What was the top stratus of Spanish society?

As colonial society grew, a well-defined caste system developed. The top stratus was formed by Spaniards born in Spain, called peninsulares or gachupines, most of whom came from titled families and held the highest ranking posts in both the government and the clergy. Next came the criollos, those born in Mexico of Spanish parents.

What was the most significant religious event of the colonial period?

Perhaps the most significant religious event of the Colonial period was the apparition of the Virgin Mary (1531) to a newly converted Indian baptized with the name Juan Diego. While walking across Tepeyac, a hill located just north of the capital, he is said to have beheld a resplendent vision of a dark-skinned woman.

What was the missionary mission of the missionary friars?

Although their chief goal was to perform the sacraments and introduce the Indians to the fundamentals of Christian doctrine, in many respects the missionary friars laid the groundwork for the fusion of the Spanish and Mexican cultures.

Early Life

First Trip to The Americas

The Colonial Enterprise and Mortal Sin

First Experiments

The Verapaz Experiment

Death

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 upo...
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