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Compare Christopher Columbus And Bartolome De Las Casas

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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 When Christopher Columbus saw the Native Americans, he knew right away that they were gullible but smart people. Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator and explorer. He was sponsored by the Spanish monarchy. He made 4 trips to the New World and his first trip was in 1492.Then New …show more content…

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). Las Casas wrote down how not all barbarians were vicious creatures, and there are barbarians who have legitimate government. As Las Casas watched the Indians, he concluded that the Indianans weren't barbaric, nor were they stupid,or dull(pg.9). They were in fact very easy to teach and they were willing to learn the Christian religion(pg.9). They were very talented in learning liberal sins and they would accept honor and repent their sins(pg.9). Las Casas saw that they were skilled in mechanical arts, and that they could produce beautiful and graceful needlework, architecture and paintings(pg.9). Las Casas, believed that instead of just conquering the Indians, they should have a chance to defend themselves. "Hence every nation[s], no matter how barbaric, has the right to defend itself... And take away its …show more content…

It showed how different the Europeans where from the Natives and how they they all had different opinions on the Natives. Columbus thought the Indians were gullible and lost people who could be persuaded into doing anything, like changing to Christianity. Sepúlveda thought the Indians were down right Barbarians who enjoyed ripping out human hearts and sacrificing them to God. On the other hand, Las Casas saw talent in the Native Americans and saw they weren't a stupid as they seemed. We wouldn't have this information if explorers like Columbus didn't write journey and books of their experience. It's important to historians because they can learn about life before the pilgrims. Maybe the Egyptians weren't the first ones to make pyramids? Maybe it was the Indians, were may never know, or we can study and explorer the journals and diaries of these famous

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It raises the question of how the Spanish viewed the natives: as people standing in the way of their gold, or fascinating and interesting people with rich culture and

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1. In my personal opinion, I think that Bartolome de las Casas wrote to try and free the Indian slaves owned by Spain. Equality never comes easy but it is certainly rewarding in the end. With that said, Las Casas decided to fight for many years trying to generate equality for the Indians.

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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.

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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

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However, the Natives had not done anything wrong to make the Spaniards act to cruel towards them. Las Casas wrote in great detail what the Spaniards did. He wrote of the destruction and slaughter that the Spanish brought to the Natives. Las Casas wrote about indians being thrown into pits of stakes. He wrote of children being torn away from their mothers and killed.

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“Cabeza de Vaca underwent one of the most remarkable and transformative experiences in the early annals of European exploration of the Americas….. During these years among native peoples, Cabeza de Vaca experienced considerable change in his worldview,” (pg. 74). He originally was like Columbus, wanting to just colonize what he found. After his separation from Narvaez, he saw the natives in another perspective. He let them accompany him and his remaining companions on his way to Mexico.

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Straight off he claims, “From the fact that the Indians are barbarians it does not necessarily follow that they are incapable of government and have to be ruled by others, except that they have to be taught about the catholic faith and to be admitted to the holy sacraments. They are not ignorant, inhuman, or bestial.” (pg.3 paragraph 1) De La Casa acknowledged that, while their practices were less evolved than the Spanish, it did not mean they were any less human or developed than the Spanish, and only need a guiding hand to the Catholic faith. He described how the Spanish treated the natives like dogs, forcing them to mine for precious minerals, and compared the Conquistadors to Romans. He wrote an argument defending the natives, explaining they were not any less intelligent then the Spanish and “…they are so skilled in every mechanical art…”

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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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Christopher Columbus is a man who is commonly depicted as a hero and great explorer who discovered our modern day America, but many of the so called “facts” are not all completely true as people would like to believe. Columbus was undoubtedly a courageous explorer who brought many new ideas, cultures, and resources to be exchanged between the New World and Europe. While this is true, it is not uncommon for people to forget the harmful effects brought along with the voyages made by Columbus and the darker details of his times in America. Columbus started from humble middle class family. Columbus was born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa as the oldest of his four siblings.

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Las Casas came to this mind set after listening to a sermon from another man and sitting down to read the Bible he changed his mind and wanted to stop the cruel treatment of the Indians and over all set them free. Bartolomé De Las Casas writes about the cruel treatment that the Indian and the fight to show Indians are not sub-human,

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He noted their sophisticated, very well-developed societies. When Europeans came into contact with Native Americans, they tried to spread Christianity and force Natives to convert to their religion. This is because people who sided with Sepúlveda felt that their religion was superior and wouldn’t ever fathom that they could adopt any of the Natives’ religions. Places in the “new world” that were under Spanish rule often were exceedingly religiously intolerant. As the Europeans gained more and more power religiously, Native American religions were silenced.

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“They are by nature the most humble, patient, and peaceable, holding no grudges, free from embroilments, neither excitable nor quarrelsome.” (Las Casas) The Indians had no greed, hatred, or arrogance.

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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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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.

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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

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