GEO 373 Essay
Born in Blood and Fire: Latin American Voices Essay Assignment
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Bartolome de las Casas
Las Casas’ account depicts the terrible and inhumane actions that the Spaniards inflicted upon the indigenous people. He made it very clear that the indigenous people were far from deserving of this torturous treatment. He describes them as “among the purest, the most innocent, and the most intelligent.” (p.9) Las Casas points out that other Spaniards had similar feelings for the indigenous people. Some of the Spaniards described them as “the most blessed on Earth.” (p.9) After Las Casas established the fact that the indigenous people were far from deserving of the treatment they received due to their innocence, he described of how horrific the torture methods were. When describing how the Spaniards treated the indigenous people he says, “they treated them worse than beasts, with less regard than one treats a pile of manure in the road” (p.11) Las Casas makes it very evident that the Spaniards had no regard for the indigenous people and went to extreme measures to torture them.
As Las Casas continues to describe the horrible events that occurred, it is clear that Las Casas was extremely disgusted with what he saw. Rightfully so, he exposed these Spaniards in a way that made them seem like the devil himself. I got a sense that Bartolome de las Casas was slightly embarrassed that he originally came to Hispaniola in the conquest of Hispaniola. I think that Las Casas gains credibility since he was once part of the Spaniard Christians that came to take over Hispaniola. This shows that the actions of the Spaniards were so bad that it made their own kind revolt against them and devote their life to stopping the terrible things that were happening. Las Casas felt very strongly in his disgust of the way the indigenous people were treated and he properly shows this in his account.
General History of the Indies, Francisco Lopez de
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Bartolome de las Casas
Las Casas’ account depicts the terrible and inhumane actions that the Spaniards inflicted upon the indigenous people. He made it very clear that the indigenous people were far from deserving of this torturous treatment. He describes them as “among the purest, the most innocent, and the most intelligent.” (p.9) Las Casas points out that other Spaniards had similar feelings for the indigenous people. Some of the Spaniards described them as “the most blessed on Earth.” (p.9) After Las Casas established the fact that the indigenous people were far from deserving of the treatment they received due to their innocence, he described of how horrific the torture methods were. When describing how the Spaniards treated the indigenous people he says, “they treated them worse than beasts, with less regard than one treats a pile of manure in the road” (p.11) Las Casas makes it very evident that the Spaniards had no regard for the indigenous people and went to extreme measures to torture them.
As Las Casas continues to describe the horrible events that occurred, it is clear that Las Casas was extremely disgusted with what he saw. Rightfully so, he exposed these Spaniards in a way that made them seem like the devil himself. I got a sense that Bartolome de las Casas was slightly embarrassed that he originally came to Hispaniola in the conquest of Hispaniola. I think that Las Casas gains credibility since he was once part of the Spaniard Christians that came to take over Hispaniola. This shows that the actions of the Spaniards were so bad that it made their own kind revolt against them and devote their life to stopping the terrible things that were happening. Las Casas felt very strongly in his disgust of the way the indigenous people were treated and he properly shows this in his account.
General History of the Indies, Francisco Lopez de