Las Casas was one of the few sources that reported directly on the atrocities that Spanish colonialism was inflicting (though it is far from the only source). It is important to note that many critiques of Las Casas find that he doesn't deemphasize the importance of colonialism, even when he is explicitly arguing for mitigations against the toll it took on native populations. His argument was not necessarily opposed to colonialism itself: it was against certain methods of colonization. Still, Las Casas is a verifiably reliable source regarding the reality of the treatment of natives under Spanish rule. This caused him to come into direct conflict with Spanish colonial rulers, although this conflict never changed his narrative.
It is important to note that many historians question the numbers that Las Casas gives, but ultimately his descriptions of events are not disputed. This is because, at the time Las Casas was writing, exaggerations were the expected norm in works such as his and thus they do not make his works any less valid than any other historical records from this period.
Bartolome de Las Casas (1474–1566) should be considered a trustworthy source on the Spanish treatment of the Indians. His writings were based on historical and anthropological evidence. His view, while accurate and praiseworthy, was unlike that of his contemporaries. For this reason, he spent much of his life in a constant struggle trying to prevent the exploitation and subjugation of the Indians.
Las Casas railed at the encomienda system used by Spain in the New World. This labor system had been used in Europe as Spain reconquered lands from the Muslims before 1492, and then it was transplanted to the Americas. Encomiendas were often used for mining, and the system was really a form of enslavement.
In 1542, Las Casas's New Laws were implemented in an attempt to ameliorate the condition of Indians. But Pedro de la Gasca, a Spanish administrator, thwarted Las Casas. Las Casas was erudite and ethical, but his magnanimous work was not enough to redress the many abuses inflicted on indigenous peoples.
Considering that Bartolomé de Las Casas's accounts of the treatment of indigenous people of the Americas aligns with the fact that roughly 90% of indigenous people died as a result of European colonization should certainly be a strong indication of his account's truthfulness. While many indigenous people died from the spreading of European diseases, Spanish armies continued to conquer and colonize indigenous peoples and indigenous lands; during this period, the death toll that this took on native populations is considered to be one of the worst population declines in human history.
When Columbus first arrived in the Caribbean, he immediately wrote a letter stating that the indigenous people he met were kind and welcoming and that it would be incredibly easy to enslave all of them. The accounts of mistreatment absolutely line up with the reality of enslavement and mass murders that the Spanish committed.
When examining the accounts of Bartolomé de Las Casas, it is important to remember that there was a purpose to his written accounts of Spanish treatment of the natives. It has been noted that Las Casas likely produced exaggerated accounts in order to better support his argument regarding the treatment of the natives. Through his exaggerations, he hoped to gain the attention of the Spanish people and the Spanish crown and to convince them of the mistreatment of the natives.
Some historians also argue that Las Casas has left out significant details in his reporting. There were certainly many natives who died as a result of contact with Spanish, but it isn't always clear which deaths came as a result of intentional conflict and which were due to the introduction of diseases like smallpox.
Although there may be some exaggeration and flaws in Las Casas's reporting, it is important to remember the big picture. There certainly was horrible treatment of the natives by the Spanish, and the Spanish did conquer and colonize native land. Las Casas wrote with a purpose and with bias, but that does not necessarily mean that his accounts have no value. It is important, though, to understand that the accounts of Las Casas may not be totally credible at all times.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1089&context=ghj
No comments:
Post a Comment