The 15th Century marked the beginning of exploration to the new world. Explorers Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de Las Casas had different perspectives about the natives they encountered upon their voyages. Columbus’ journal and de Las Casas’ narration portrayed the Indians’ appearances similarly however; both explorers had different attitudes towards them. From Columbus’ first encounter with the Indians, his attitude was condescending. He described them as very poor people and believed them to be ignorant. Columbus’ main interests were the three G’s: God, glory, and gold, and this was extremely apparent throughout the writings of his journal. On October 14th, he said that the Indians had no knowledge of fighting, and had previously …show more content…
He believed it a good idea to take some natives back with him to Spain so that the natives could learn their language, customs, and faith…and of course, tell the Spanish what treasures they have in their country. “They are ready to believe […] quick to recite any prayer we tell them to say, and to make the sign of the cross. Your Majesties should therefore determine to convert them to Christianity…” (p. 9). Columbus believed the Indians had no religion and that they did not know the meaning of evil thus, implying that it would be very simple to convert them to Christianity. “…and great domains and their wealth and all their peoples will be won for Spain, for there is no doubt that these lands hold enormous quantities of gold…” (p. 9-10). His motive was to conquer these innocent people completely, and he did not see anything wrong in doing …show more content…
His attitudes towards the natives were the opposite; he did not treat them as a conquest, as did Columbus, but rather as actual people. His narration praised the natives as he described them as patient, humble, and slowest to take offence (p.20). “These people are among the cleanliest…excellently fit to receive our holy Catholic faith and to be induced with virtuous customs…” (p. 20). However, like Columbus, de Las Casas also believed that these people should be converted to his religion. He believed that the way the Indians were treated by Christians was wrong, unjust, and contrary to their beliefs. “This unjust thing, this cruelty without precedent, being seen by the Indians perpetrated upon so many guiltless innocents…” (p. 32). De Las Casas expressed his disapproval of the Spaniards treatment of the Indians. He believed it was wrong of them to act in such a way to the innocent and naïve
The first aspect that De Las Casas addresses about the inhabitants comes within his amazement to the diversity of the people residing in the Indies. Along with that statement, De Las Casas also alludes to his religious perspectives of the inhabitants, saying such things as "People inhabits these Countries, that it seems as if the Omnipotent God has Assembled and Convocated [sic] the major part of Mankind in this part of the World." As Las Casas continues his description of the natives, the concept of humanity is brought into light with his defense of the Indians. As comparative to the Europeans, the natives are supposedly much more malleable as people due to their previously restricted access to other nations in the world. Here, Las Casas
In fourteen ninety two, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue to find the world of new. Though the History books have a preconceived idea that he was a benevolent adventurer, Bartolome De Las Casas proclaims Columbus’ interactions differently. De Las Casas described several events during Columbus’ encounter with the Native Americans. Columbus demoralized the Native Americans by regarding them as subhumans, disintegrated their families, and committed mass murders. What the textbooks fail to include are the immoralities that could possibly shed a new light on your perspective of Christopher Columbus.
Native people in general were seen as heathens; uncivilized, savage people who practiced human sacrifice. Christianity was the only way to make uncivilized people civilized, through the belief of their God. Not thinking that these people had their own gods they prayed to, forcing a religion on someone who not only doesn’t understand you and inevitably can’t say no to, in itself is a conquering of people. Cortés and his soldiers in hopes of gaining allies to help defeat Montezuma II, went village to village spreading Christianity to create this idea of brotherhood. (Diaz, 144,191)
After Cortes expressed his views on there only being one God and they should not sacrifice humans, many sided with him. “They fully believed that after so long an absence from their native land, they might have fallen into some errors.” (Cortes, Second Letter to Charles V, par. 13) Cortes and Columbus also encountered several cultures of the Natives. Cortes experienced their markets where they sold deerskin. Columbus noticed the cultures involving the Natives being completely naked, even the women.
He saw the torture the Natives received by the Spaniards. Las Casas tried to convince people to change their ways with the natives. He fought slavery and violence that was brought among harmless people. When the Spanish arrived, they encountered the Natives. The Spanish, however, seemed to ignore the fact that the Natives were gentle people.
The treatment of the native inhabitants varied among the three explorers. The worst treatment of the natives was seen in great detail through the perspective of De Las Casas. During his expedition in the Indies, he and his comrades killed millions of the natives to take everything and anything they wanted. He stated, “And thus they have deprived the Indians of their lives and souls, for the millions I mentioned have died without the Faith and without the benefit of the sacraments. This is a well-known and proven fact which even the tyrant Governors, themselves killers, know and admit.
Christopher Columbus is the most famous explorer because he discovered the americas and made friends with the native americans. And now in the united states we have a columbus day to celebrate him. But what if I said that everything you know about columbus was false. He did not discover the americas first, he treated the native americans extremely poorly and he added no additional knowledge. Columbus’ goal was to spread religion to the natives and make peace with them, but that did not go the way it was supposed to.
Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes were both famous Spanish adventurers during the Age of Exploration. When the explorers came upon land, they encountered two different cultures. In 1492, Columbus encountered the Taino people, and in 1520, Cortes encountered the Aztecs. The two cultures that the men encountered were different in more ways than they were similar in regards to how the natives treated the men, what weapons they had and their war-like behavior, their technologically advancements, their housing and architectural structures, and even their religion.
“When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americans. Columbus sailed the America in 1493 because he wanted the sail the world and one of the reasons were because the people thought the planet was flat and Columbus believed the planet was round and then they met the Indians. “According to Document b ‘On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain to find an all-water route to Asia. For nearly five months,’ “This shows that Columbus traveled the world on a boat
Columbus used religion, exaggeration, and flattery in his letter. His purpose was to sell them on America so he could profit and possibly return there. He used religion at the beginning and end of his letter. He starts out with “Since I know that you will be pleased at the great victory with which Our Lord has crowned my voyage,” (pg. 67). Towards the end he says, “This is enough.
He showed not on ounce of respect for the Native American people. This is why Columbus is a villain. General Summary of why stating there are __ reasons that will be discussed (History of religion prior to Columbus) After Columbus learned the religion of Native Americans they were threatened to either change their religion or to be annihilated. He forced
Las Casas was a historian who later became a Bishop. He believed that the Indians shouldn't just be conquered but should have a chance of fighting the Europeans first. He traveled to North America in 1550. When Las Casas first came to the New World, he noticed that even though the Indians lacked art and writing, they had the the capacity to rule(pg.9). The Indians had kingdoms, cities and communities that were governed well and wisely because they followed the laws and customs of the Indians(pg.9).
Some say Christopher Columbus was a hero because he was the explorer that discovered America. In reality, Christopher Columbus had an incredibly negative impact on the world because he enslaved the Native Americans, didn’t help the kind Natives when they got infected by diseases that the Spaniards had brought to America, and killed off most of the Native American population. The tactics he chose to use were violent and destructive by the standards back then and now. First, Columbus treated the Native Americans like uncivilized people by enslaving them and forcing them to work for him although they greeted him and his crew peacefully. ” They could make fine servants,”(document 2) he wrote in his journal,”I took them by force.
In The Requerimiento by Juan López de Palacios Rubios, natives in the new world were told, “We ask that … you acknowledge the Christian church as the ruler and superior of the whole world, and as superiors that you agree to let the Christian priests preach to you … (The Priests) shall not compel you to become Christians unless you yourself wish to be converted. But if you do not do this … we shall forcefully enter into your country and make war against you.” The Spanish conquistadors allowed natives to choose whether or not they wanted to convert to Christianity, However if they did not, then the Spanish turned them into slaves. The True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo openly stated that a reason for Spanish exploration was, “To serve God and his majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness.” The Spanish viewed non-Christians as unintelligent people because they believed in a different God.
In 1550, Emporer Charles V summoned a debate to determine how Spain would deal with the Native Americans. Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas engaged in discourse about this topic: Sepúlveda denigrated the Natives while de Las Casas defended them. Sepúlveda felt that the Native Americans were basically barbaric sub-humans, and that the Europeans were greatly superior to them. He felt that Christianity was far more altruistic than the Natives’ religions. However, Las Casas felt that the Natives should be treated equally, since he believed Jesus died for the Natives just like he died for the Europeans.