What was the purpose of brief account of the devastation of the Indies?

A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies was written with the task of informing the King of Spain about the murder and gold hoarding that was occurring in the New World. The purpose of the expeditions was primarily to convert the natives to Christianity and save them from eternal damnation.

Why did Las Casas write the devastation of the Indies?

To contest the brutality, which decimated an entire population, Las Casas wrote The Devastation of the Indies to convince the Spanish Crown to intervene and call for the peaceful conversion of the native people to the Catholic faith.

Is Bartolome de las Casas accurate?

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.

What was Bartolomé de las Casas upset about?

Bartolomé de Las Casas was an outspoken critic of the Spanish colonial government in the Americas. Las Casas was especially critical of the system of slavery in the West Indies.

What committed in the Indies stand out?

What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.

How does Las Casas describe the natives?

How does de las Casas describe the natives of the Indies? But in many ways, Las Casas adheres to a “noble savage” trope that was already common in European literary depictions of Native Americans. He describes them as “innocent Sheep,” people devoid of “Craft, Subtlety and Malice.”

How did the Dutch treat the Natives?

Regarding the Indians, the Dutch generally followed a policy of live and let live: they did not force assimilation or religious conversion on the Indians. Both in Europe and in North America, the Dutch had little interest in forcing conformity on religious, political, and racial minorities.

How did the British treat the Natives?

The English treated the Natives as inferior, believed they stood in the way of their God-given right to the land in America and tried to subject the Natives to their laws as they established their colonies.

What was the Short Account of the destruction of the Indies?

Dominican Friar Bartolomé de Las Casas’s A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies is a primary source on the genocide of indigenous peoples during Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Why did Las Casas write the destruction of the Indies?

One of the stated purposes for writing the account was Las Casas’s fear of Spain coming under divine punishment and his concern for the souls of the native peoples.

How many study guides are in the destruction of the Indies?

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What was Las Casas point of view on colonization?

Las Casas’s point of view can be described as being heavily against some of the Spanish methods of colonization, which, as he described them, inflicted great losses on the indigenous occupants of the islands.