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Compare And Contrast Cortes And Columbus

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The Americas were a surprising discovery for Europeans, bringing forth new riches and land. Most would do anything to gain control of the lands, and few were concerned with the treatment of the natives. Cortes and Columbus both insist on the inferiority of the natives and were eager to conquer them, while Las Casas regrets the motives and actions of Europeans. Cortes and Columbus marveled at the new world and its people, but justified their actions in order to conquer it. In Cortes’ letter to Emperor Henry the 5th, he describes the wonders of the Aztecs, and even goes on to say, “The manner of living among people, is very similar to that of Spain.” Even with this opinion, Cortes will overthrow the Aztec Empire, taking over Mexico. He will attempt to rectify his decisions with the Emperor by saying, “This is a barbarous nation, shut off from knowledge of the true God…” Trying to prove their ignorance and need for spiritual guidance. Columbus too realizes the beauty of what he has come to find. And just like Cortes, describes the natives as naïve, “idiots”, and that the Spain could be helpful to …show more content…

Las Casas was a part of the conquering of Cuba, but soon saw the abuse of the Indians. He wrote a book describing the horrible conditions of those who had their home taken from them. “There is nothing more detestable or more cruel than the tyranny which the Spaniards use toward the Indians.” For Columbus and Cortes, religion was a way to justify their actions, but for Casas, what they did was against God himself. “Consider whether this usage be consistent with the precepts which God Commands charity our neighbor.” This being said, Casas becomes a friars and fights for the Indians, his books and actions are in an attempt to provoke the emotions of others. Las Casas’ view on the Spanish’s actions was different from Cortes and Columbus, seeing the natives as

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Religion was a key factor in the way La Casas and the Spaniards protrayed the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Queen Isabella 's role in the avocation of converting the native people to Catholicism allowed Religion to play a major role in the Spanish ConquestLas Casas mentions Queen Isabella’s religious influences in the opening chapter of the book. He also states that her death and the disappearances of her influences is the reasons the Spaniards genocide of the native people increased. Both Las Casa and the Spaniards agreed that religion was a reason for the conquest of the Caribbean. However, they concept influenced their portrayal of the natives in different ways.

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While some similarities are seen among Hernando Cortés and the Mexica in their view of the colonization of the New World, the differences are more significant to understanding the history of the Spanish arrival and conquest. As a Spanish conquistador on a mission to expand, Cortés did all he could to accomplish this goal. The Mexica, on the other hand, saw the Spaniards as the prophesied gods that their omens forewarned them about. Cortés and the Mexica distinctively viewed the event that led up to the fall and conquer of Technochtitlan, the Mexica capital, in the light of their own culture and religion.

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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.

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Las Casas portrays the indigenous people as a completely innocent and utterly defenseless race of humans in need of European care and proper Christian exposure rather than the eccentric, savage creatures illustrated in other European accounts in an attempt to convince the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to enact reforms regarding colonial treatment of American Indians. Throughout his account, Las Casas focuses on the inherent goodness of the natives, stating that of the many varieties of people in the world, “these people are the most guileless, the most devoid of wickedness and duplicity...holding no grudges, free from embroilments, neither excitable nor quarrelsome” (Las Casas). By describing the natives in this way, Las Casas endeavors

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Las Casas was one of the few who saw the natives as human beings, unlike many of the Spanish that exploited and hurt them; treating them as

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Before the colonies really took off explorers and settlers encountered the native population almost immediately. They found people with their own culture and functioning government, such as the Aztecs. As Cortès explored the empire he wrote of their great city and it's economy. However upon realizing they worshiped under a different religion, or though his view a false religion, his description abruptly changed. Using religion as a tool and an explanation of his actions Cortès attacked the Aztec Empire.

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“Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress”, chapter one of “A People’s History of the United States”, written by professor and historian Howard Zinn, concentrates on a different perspective of major events in American history. It begins with the native Bahamian tribe of Arawaks welcoming the Spanish to their shores with gifts and kindness, only then for the reader to be disturbed by a log from Columbus himself – “They willingly traded everything they owned… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” (Zinn pg.1) In the work, Zinn continues explaining the unnecessary evils Columbus and his men committed unto the unsuspecting natives.

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This inhumane treatment led him to Spain to seek better treatment towards them. Las Casas sought better methods for Spanish conquest, with the support of the emperor, Charles V, he built a new colony that consisted of the Spaniards and the Indians, but his attempt failed. This failure didn’t stop Las Casas from doing religious services. In 1523, he moves to Santo Domingo where he produced his great

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As you can see here that Grafton paints the picture that maybe the Europeans should take a deep look into the mirror at themselves and maybe they could see that the way they say isn’t right, is exactly what they are doing. This first meeting between the Spainards and that Aztecs would be the last meeting between any other societies for the Aztecs, in which they would be eventually be wiped out

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Opposed the enslavement and oppression of the Indians by Spanish colonists in the Americas Voyaged to Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic) to manage a newly acquired estate. He began to teach the inhabitants Christianity, and in 1512 he became a priest. In 1515 he returned to Spain and presented to King Charles I a plan for the reformation of the Indies. Las Casas was appointed “protector of the Indians.” In his zeal to aid the Indians, however, he advocated the use of black slaves from Africa—a decision he later much regretted.

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By the end of the sixteenth century, the new colonies in Mexico were thriving under Spanish control. The once vibrant and busy city of Tenochtitlan had become a distant memory, which the Europeans ensured to suppress by removing remanence of Aztec representation throughout the land. Moreover, the Spanish made every possible effort to impose its traditions on the conquered natives and rule in the manner, which favored the crown, primarily thorough the spread of Christianity. Moreover, European culture was not a matter of choice for the natives to adopt, in fact, entirely the opposite transpired. Upon arrival to the new world, the Spaniards expressed negative sentiments regarding the native’s religious affiliation and customs, which prompted

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In his story of The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, the Spanish priest and scholar Bartolome de Las Casas describes the native peoples of the ‘New World’ as more Christian than the Spanish. His frustration is particularly focused in the way the conquistadores try to spread the religion of Christianity. Casas does not fear to express this frustration: “It is not difficult to discover who are the real Christians and who are not” . De Las Cases uses this phrase due to his frustration of the ways the Christians were treating the innocent peoples of the New World. In one hand de Las Casas argues that the terror being done to those innocent people who are peaceful and gentle is wrong and should stop as soon as possible.

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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).

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In the 16th Century, Spain became one of the European forces to reckon with. To expand even further globally, Spanish conquistadors were sent abroad to discover lands, riches, and North America and its civilizations. When the Spanish and Native American groups met one another, they judged each other, as they were both unfamiliar with the people that stood before them. The Native American and Spanish views and opinions of one another are more similar than different because when meeting and getting to know each other, neither the Spaniards nor the Native Americans saw the other group of people as human. Both groups of people thought of one another as barbaric monsters and were confused and amazed by each other’s cultures.

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This power imbalance and these payments are key in the subjugation of the natives. Furthermore, the paternalism of the Spanish toward the Indigenous peoples is obvious: “Captain [Cortes] stared at him [Cuauhtemoc]…then patted him on the head” (p.117). Post-conquest, and still today, “difficult relations” between the descendants of the Indigenous peoples and the “others” (p.117) still exist. The European view of the natives “as idolatrous savages” or, on the contrary, as “models of natural virtue” (p.175) demonstrate the versatile and often contradictory views held. Similarly, the Aztecs at times saw the Spaniards as gods, and other times as gold-hungry savages who “fingered it like monkeys” (p.51).

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