![]() ![]() What happened on the island of Hispaniola where the Taino people resided when Christopher Columbus took control of the island for Spain? Who in future generations will believe this? I myself writing it as a knowledgeable eyewitness can hardly believe it." In the section regarding Hispaniola, Las Casas compares the indigenous Arawaks to tame ewes and writes that when he arrived in 1508, "there were 60,000 people living on this island, including the Indians so that from 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery, and the mines. The Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas published his famous Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias (A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies), an account of the abuses that accompanied the colonization of New Spain, and especially the island of Hispaniola (now home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti). The Wikipedia article also includes the following regarding Bartolomé Las Casas: Source: Trail of Tears: The Native American "Problem" in the New World They tore away Children our of their Mothers arms, and dash'd out their Brains against the Rocks others they threw in the River, diverting themselves with this brutish Sport, and giving great shouts while they saw 'em in this misery." They laid Wagers one with another, who should cleave a Man down with his Sword most dexterously at one blow or who should take his Head from his Shoulders most cleverly or who should run a Man through after the most artificial manner. They pass'd through the several Cities and Towns, sparing neither Age nor Sex, but kill'd Women and Children as well as Men: They rip'd up Women with Child, that Root and Branch might be destroy'd together. "The Spaniards, who were mounted on fine Horses, and armed with Lances and Swords, look'd upon Enemies formally equip'd with the greatest Contempt, and committed the most horrible Slaughters with Impunity. ![]() What are some of the things observed by Bartolomé Las Casas? The article mentions the writings of the Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas regarding the Spanish mistreatment of the natives. I'm not saying the Spanish conquest was a good thing, but Spanish tactics weren't any worse than any other colonial power. ![]() They exploited people in their silver mines, but look at the British in India, who strapped indigenous rebels to the barrels of cannons. The Spanish did spread disease, but that would have happened no matter what. There's a reason why there are many more people of at least partial Indian descent in Latin America than the United States. Compare that to the English, who would seize land in the Americas, exterminate the Indians, and run things themselves. Spain was just free from the Muslims when they began exploration, so they did not have enough people or resources to run a colony (they used conquistadors, rather than their own army) so they'd often toss out only the indigenous elites and let local life continue without too much disruption. Keep in mind that many of the stories about Spanish atrocities were spread by the English and the French, who committed numerous atrocities themselves. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |