Introduction
Known as the “Apostle of the Indians,” Catholic priest Bartolomé De Las Casas was the most outspoken critic of Spanish mistreatment of the native population in the New World. Las Casas took part in the exploitation of Indian labor on Hispaniola and Cuba. But in 1514, he freed his Indian slaves and began to preach against the injustices of Spanish rule. In his BRIEFAccount of the Destruction of the Indies, Las Casas denounced Spain for causing the deaths of millions of innocent people. The excerpt that follows primarily details events on Hispaniola, the Caribbean island first conquered and settled by Spain. Las Casas called for the Indians to enjoy the rights of other subjects of Spain.
Largely because of Las Casas’s efforts, in 1542 Spain passed the New Laws, ordering that Indians no longer being enslaved. But Spain’s European rivals seized upon Las Casas’s criticisms to justify their own ambitions. His writings became the basis for the Black Legend, the image of Spain as a uniquely cruel empire. Other nations would claim that their imperial ventures were inspired by the desire to rescue Indians from Spanish rule.
QUSTIONS TO ANSWER:
How does Las Casas describe the natives in the Americas?
How does Las Casas describe the Spaniards?
Why does he describe each group in these terms?
