Las casas and his fight to protect the american indians, his. A short account of the destruction of the indies penguin classics. A short account of the destruction of the indies spanish. In 1502 he went to cuba, and for his military services there was given an encomienda, an estate that included the services of the indians living on it. After being ordained as a priest in 1510, he worked to improve the condition of the native peoples and to end their enslavement and forced labor. The text deals with the mistreatment of the indigenous peoples of the americas and the atrocities committed against them in colonial times. A brief account of the destruction of the indies by.
His brave stand against the horrors of the conquest and the colonization of the new world earned him the title defender of the native americans. A short account of the destruction of the indies summary. It is thought that his father is a descendant of french families that have founded the city of seville. The journal of latin american studies, 1 april 20 clayton univ. An account of the first voyages and discoveries made by the spaniards in america translated selections from casas work. An account much abbreviated of the destruction of the indies, indianapolis, in, hackett publishing company inc. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
Las casas was one of the first advocates for the indigenous people. He lived in a time that the encontienda system was intact in spain and slavery. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Indigenous and black activists and protestors for 500 years have taken up his arguments to push for changes to the systems that have made them secondclass citizens. Chapter three the genesis of the black legend las casas. Free delivery on book orders dispatched by amazon over. Las casas was especially critical of the system of slavery in the west indies. Then i heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, come. As a settler in the new world he witnessed, and was driven to oppose, the torture and genocide of the native americans by the spanish colonists and pushed for rights of the natives appealing to the imperial court of charles v. There are a few major themes and ideas to this book that stand out and are worth a discussion. Being an historical and true account of the cruel massacres and slaughters of above twenty millions of innocent people. He subsequently published eight works at seville in 1552, of which the most widely disseminated book was the brief account of the destruction of the indies. The book uses the life of las casas as the vehicle for exploring and explaining the age of the encounter.
She is the founder of an international initiative designating november as picture book month. Nov 05, 2012 we can curse the darkness, or light candles. A short account of the destruction of the indies penguin. The excerpt is from voices of a peoples history of the united states edited by howard zinn and anthony arnove. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A short account of the destruction of the indies wikipedia. His passion for people who at the time were seen as a sub species of humans if even human at all is remarkable. The devastation of the indies is an eyewitness account of the first modern genocide, a story of greed, hypocrisy, and cruelties so grotesque as to rival the worst of our own century. An account, much abbreviated, of the destruction of the.
Las casas began a greedy man in pursuit of wealth through slavery of native americans. He was also one of the first europeans to openly condemn the atrocities committed by europeans on the native indians of the latin american lands and the west indies. In 1514, las casas was studying a passage in the book. Buy a short account of the destruction of the indies penguin classics reprint by las casas, bartolome, pagden, anthony isbn. Las casas interrupted work on the book only to send to the council of the. He became the first resident bishop of chiapas, and the first officially appointed protector of the indians. Interpreting the conquest exploring the early americas. His book was translated in english and used to stir up feelings against the spaniards. Committed by the spaniards 1656, courtesy of the annenberg rare book and manuscript library, university of pennsylvania. In 1502, he left spain for the caribbean, which was called the west indies, where he became a hacendado of an encomienda plantation and a slave owner of native americans. Las casas writes of men, women, and children burned alive thirteen at a time in memory of our redeemer and his twelve apostles.
The former was written as an introduction to a proposed. Great prophet of the americas, was a thorough, historical description of las casas life, conversion, and ministry to the natives in america during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. A short account of the destruction of the indies book. Remembered as a national hero in cuba and nicaragua. I watched as the lamb opened the first of the seven seals.
Since the spaniards horded most of the gold that they stole from the native villages and gave only a tiny fraction to the spanish royal treasury, it was a higher priority for the spanish nobles to recover the stolen gold and to. He was fearless in standing up to the political and ecclesiastical powers of his time, and a tireless chronicler of events. Chapter three the genesis of the black legend todo esto yo lo vide con mis ojos corporates mortales. It is problematic because in north america the history of latin america is not given due attention. He became one of the great students and chroniclers of the americas under the conquest, and argued for the humane treatment of indigenous peoples. Bartolome was the first spaniard, and by default, the first european, to begin to advocate for the rights of the native americans in the new world. Explores the period known as the encounter, which was characterized by intensive conflict between europeans and the. He wrote many petitions, treatises, and books on the subject of the spanish conquest of the americas. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the.
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