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Christian Based Justifications For New World Conquests

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Christian-Based Justifications for New World Conquests
In A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Bishop Bartholomew de las Casas questions the supposedly Christian based motivations of the Spaniards when conquering the indigenous tribes in the New World. In The Letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery, Columbus posits that conquering the land was a duty and right as Spaniards, barely regarding capture and torture of the native peoples in his overtaking of land and gold. In Democrates Alter, Or, on the Just Causes for War Against the Indians, Sepulveda argues the violence committed by the Spaniards as necessary to carry out a Christian duty. All texts are based in the New World of Latin America. All authors …show more content…

I will also use the term “New World” to reference the places that the Spaniards travelled to. Though in a similar setting with the same religion, each text maintains a different view on the matters of Spanish conquests, which makes for an interesting discussion when comparing similarities all three. Despite a difference of opinion of how to convert, these three texts A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, The Letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery, and Democrates Alter, Or, on the Just Causes for War Against the Indians similarly posit justification for violent acts and conversion of the indigenous peoples based on religious beliefs. To defend my argument, I will first explain the similar aspects between the three texts regarding the acknowledgement of the cruel actions against the natives to gain more knowledge of the land and its people. I will then discuss the similar opinion of each author that argues a Christian duty to convert the natives after having gained information about the New World. After explaining each author’s interpretation of the events and Christian practices, I will outline the contrasting religious-based justifications for events …show more content…

De las Casas claims that Christians should not commit violent acts to force their faith on others, arguing that non-believers should come to the Christian faith justly and for the sole purpose of knowing the Christian God. Columbus, though, clearly uses Christianity as a device to re-shape the natives into relatable and usable people for the Spanish kingdom. “They took even pieces of broken barrel-hoops, and gave whatever they had, like senseless brutes; insomuch that it seemed to me bad. I forbade it, and I gave gratuitously a thousand useful things that I carried, in order that they may conceive affection, and furthermore may become Christians” (Columbus, 1493). Columbus means to give them tools to be learned to produce efficient and submissive slaves. Columbus uses conversion as an instrument to enact his priority of taking slaves and conquering the land. Alternatively, Sepulveda argues that no one can truly know exactly what the Christian God desires for His people and consequently cannot know which actions are truly righteous in nature despite the Christian Bible’s teachings. “Those words from the bible are not laws in the obligatory sense of the word, but rather advice and exhortation which do not belong so much to

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Las Casas`s work provoked heated debate in Spain and initiated reforms designed to bring greater “love and moderation” to Spanish-Indians relationships. He wrote it for Charles I of Spain. The purposes for writing this was his fear of Spain coming under divine punishment (God`s corporal punishment) and his concern for the souls of the Native Americans. The account is one of the first attempts by a Spanish writer of the colonial era to show examples of unjust treatment that indigenous people endured in the early stages of the Spanish conquest of the Greater Antilles, particularly the island of

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For Columbus, his attitude towards the natives in more ways than one, is leaning towards the idea of slavery. After they warm up to him, he sees from the way they are dressed and by the gifts they give him, that they are easily conquerable. He explains that, “after they have been reassured and have lost their fear, they are so guileless and so generous with all they possess” (29). This brings up the idea for Columbus to use them as slaves later on to get what he wants overall. His overall attitude comes to be the idea of power over the natives.

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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.

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In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. We all know this catchy tune right? But what we don’t know, is what Columbus thought when he arrived in the North America or what he though of the Native Americans he met. In fact, we don’t know much about all the explorers after Columbus and what they thought. Each explore had their own view of the Native Americans, and three great examples are Columbus, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas

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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.

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