Bartolome De Las Casas Analysis

Matthew Restall, a Professor of Latin American History, Women’s Studies, and Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University. He also serves the Director of the university’s Latin Studies. Throughout “Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest,” he discusses many false truths that have been passed down through history. For instance, he discusses, “The Myth of Exceptional Men.” “The Myth of Spanish Army,” and “The Myth of Completion.” For the sake of time, I will discuss three myths that correlate with class lectures and serve as the topic of this paper, “The Myth of Exceptional Men,” “The Myth of the King’s Army,” and the “Myth of the White Conquistador.” It should be noted that Restall speaks to his audience assuring us that his “...his purpose is not to degenerate this technique of historical writing completely...Nor do I mean to create a narrative in which individual action is utterly subordinated to the larger structural forces and causes of social change.” (4). He states that his intentions are to react to more than just the works of Columbus, Pizzaro, and Cortez.

There is common history between Latin Americans and Anglo Americans, like the Arabs and Jews of the Middle East, cousins in constant conflict, often hearing but not understanding each other. In this chapter Gonzalez tells us about how both Latin American and Anglo-American cultures fabricated their colonial origin. The 1500’s through the early 1800s specially explains the foundation of what now makes up the US. Since early on in time Anglo colonist saw Mexicans as an obstacle to evolution. Unfortunately, because most did not know how to read or write they were easily fooled. Because of this so many were done wrong, at times had their lands taken away. Canelas family were some of the witnesses to the lynching’s which occurred as last as 1917. In 1859 Cortina; a Canelas ancestor, declared was against the Anglo settler minority. In 1929, an important year where we had the first organization intended to break down segregation. The name of that organization was League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The main goal was to get the Anglo society to accept Mexicans as equal citizens. They could do this by teaching the chief goal to master his

This section highlights that history has created a false narrative depicting the natives as a victimized people, which they were to some extent but only in the fashion that they did not possess the same technology for warfare, immunity of communal diseases transmitted, and they were not anticipating combat. All other factors considered, the natives stood to be a potential threat. In regards to knowledge obtained by Spaniards prior to arrival and knowledge gained from observation, it would be remiss had they not prepared for battle. This argument is not to be misconstrued in approving their actions; I do recognize colonization as an evil for both the reasons employed and its damaging effects, but rather to change the narrative surrounding that of the native people. While they did experience a tragedy, I feel that it is erroneous to write them into history as being incompetent resulting from their

Convinced of the superiority of Catholicism to all other religions, Spain insisted that the primary goal of colonization was to save the Indians from heathenism and prevent them from falling under the sway of Protestantism. The aim was neither to exterminate nor to remove the Indians, but to transform them into obedient Christian subjects of the crown. To the Spanish colonizers, the large native populations of the Americas were not only souls to be saved but also a labor force to be organized to extract gold and silver that would enrich their mother country. Las Casas’ writings and the abuses they exposed contributed to the spread of the Black Legend-the image of Spain as a uniquely brutal and exploitative colonizer. This would provide of a potent justification for other European powers to challenge Spain’s predominance in the New World.

For decades, the history of Latin America has been shrouded in a cover of Spanish glory and myth that misleads and complicates the views of historians everywhere. Myths such as the relationship between natives and conquistadors, and the individuality of the conquistadors themselves stand as only a few examples of how this history may have become broken and distorted. However, in Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest Matthew Restall goes to great lengths to dispel these myths and provide a more accurate history of Latin American, in a readable and enjoyable book.

As stated in the excerpt, Las Casas uses characterization to describe the Natives. He even says, "These would be the most blessed people on earth if only they were given the chance to convert to Christianity" (Casas 11). His use of this literary method virtually guarantees that his readers will become empathetic toward the natives and side with Las Casas in his endeavor to protect the Indians. Essentially, to those uneducated in the goings-on in the New World, Las Casas not only educated them but struck a sympathetic nerve that helped to push Old World Europeans toward minimizing the cruelty in the New World.

“Victors and Vanquished,” through excerpts of Bernal Diaz del Castillo The True History of the Conquest of New Spain and indigenous testimonies from the Florentine Codex, represents the clash between European and indigenous cultures and how there was no simple “European” or “indigenous” view. Rather, there were a variety of European and indigenous opinions and interpretations that were influenced by personal interests, social hierarchy and classes, ethnic biases and political considerations.

Spain sought out to colonize the New World and, most importantly, influence Christianity. This writing is historically significant because it validates the interactions of the aggressive Christians doing and the innocent Indians, which is eventually revealed to the Spanish public. Certain use of pathos in Cabeza de Vaca’s perspective is the most persuasive tool in his journal. His own experience in land where he too was enslaved, like how the Indians were to the Spanish, justifies his own thoughts and empathy for the victims. His accounts as a witness prompt readers to believe his word. Cabeza de Vaca’s insight onto how the foreigners treated the natives and why they were inclines to retaliate, was intended to reveal the truth. This line stated directly to his audience explains his betrayal, lastly exposing the Spanish men: “This clearly shows how the design of men sometimes miscarry. We went on with the idea of insuring the liberty of the Indians…when we believed it to be

Las Casas viewed the indigenous people in a good light, having said that they were humble and peaceful. He also stated that, for the most part, they were the type of people who wanted to mind to their own business and not get concerned with others. He was a spokesperson for the indigenous people in the new world, feeling the pain that these Spanish intruders forced upon them. The Spaniards didn’t share the same view, they were very cruel and unjust in the way that they treated the indigenous people. They had no respect for their culture or for what the indigenous people had created. Even so the indigenous

From Reséndez’s foundation of European enslavement and its far-reaching impact on Native American populations, Reséndez examined racial components in the southwest. It is impossible to separate racial tension from the study of Indian slavery. Christopher Columbus’s journals as contemporary letters show the Spanish perception of

The way that this debate, between Bartolomé de Las Casas and Juan Gines Sepulveda, played out allows us to see both sides of the dispute. Las Casas was formerly from the Spanish military, during which time he served in Cuba with direct contact to the Native Americans. Because of this influence on this life, and some of the people that he met while he worked there, he then dedicated himself to improving life for the native people. Later, in August of 1550, he engaged in a debate with Sepulveda which was called the Great Debate at Valladolid before the Council for the Indies.

The greed for gold and the race for El Dorado were the main inducements of the Spaniards who, at the peril of their lives, crossed the ocean in unfit vessels in a mad pursuit after the gold and all other precious property of the Indians” (Peace 479). The royal rulers of Spain made it a rule that nothing would jeopardize their ability to rob the land from the native people of Latin America. The missionary process, “had to be encouraged, but the missionaries could not be permitted to dominate the colony at the cost of royal rule” (Gibson 76). The European governments established missionaries to cleanse their minds of any guilt aroused by the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children. When European “ships arrived in the 16th century to colonize the land and exploit its natural resources, they killed indigenous people and brought black slaves from Africa. Millions of indigenous people were slain and their cultures completely destroyed by the process of colonization” (Ribero). The overall devastations caused by the Christianization of the native inhabitants created a blend of cultures within the indigenous civilizations which gradually isolated old native ways into a small population of oppressed people. The Christianized people became a symbol of loyalty to the European powers and were left alone simply on their religious status. This long term mission of total religious replacement caused very strong and advanced

In his treatise as well as Cruelties of Spaniards, Bartolomé Las Casas supported the Native Americans by explaining that they were just as human as the Spaniards were. He states in his treatise that “…it is unlikely that anyone will resist the preaching of the gospel and the Christian doctrine.” Because he has been in the New World, he has seen the acceptance of Catholicism from the Natives, unlike the crown whom have never seen such cooperation. He continues by taking shots at the Spaniard colonists who fought with the Natives, even though their kings “have prohibited wars against the Indians of the Indies…” It’s rather confusing to find out where Las Casas

The work of Federico García Lorca, "La Casa de Bernarda Alba", is open to many interpretations due to its profound symbolic nature. It gives an interesting representation of a middle-class house consisting entirely of women. The plot takes place in a small city, a middle class house in a society dominated by men. It is believed that it was established somewhere in Spain in the 1930s. The work was written at a time when the suppression of women was still strong. Mother Bernarda, the head of the house, does everything she thinks is necessary to keep her house within a good social position in the city. The mother had become the owner of the house after the death of her husband, which forces her to work more to maintain a good reputation for her daughters' house, composed of Anguistas, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio and Adela. By delving into the story one can find two sides of a dilemma that covers the house and the women. In the midst of much of the drama that this house consumes is Poncia, Bernarda's maid in the house. Poncia is one of the most interesting characters in this story, since he is manipulating everyone for his own benefit. The name of Poncia comes from the biblical figure poncios pilot, who was the judge in the trial of Jesus. Like Poncia, he did not want to get his hands dirty in the dilemma. This dilemma is between religion and sex, and Poncia sees this problem as an opportunity to end Bernarda. In this essay, I will analyze the tragic force that overthrows Adela,

“Open Veins of Latin America”, by Eduardo Galeano tells the story of the history of both Latin America and parts of the Caribbean throughout the years and their struggle with poverty and the powers who exploited the countries throughout their existence from the day they were conquer by Europeans and as the years went by. The book begins with the history of the conquest of the new land and the search for both gold and silver, how the Europeans enslaved of the Native Americans and how their population declined at the time. Along with the slavement of the Natives and the search for gold, the conquistadors also brought diseases with them which caused many of the Natives to died, thus decreasing their population, the main cause being small pox. However one thing that Galeano tries to make clear is that is that although the conquistadors were in search of wealth, it is unclear is they actually benefited from all the goods that were taken out of the new world, but that instead it created a tradition of goods being imported to parts of Europe.