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Pros And Cons Of Indians According To Seulveda

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According to Sepulveda’s argument in “Prologue to the Members of the Congregation”, Indians during that time were classified as not humans. Humans are those who accept and follow the Christian faith, as well as, those who live in accordance with Natural Reason or Natural Law. Natural Law is the order of what are good and bad, also known as morals. In his 8th objection, Sepulveda explains that the Indians lack Natural Reason and publically endorse bad customs. By this he meant that they act savagely and animal like without a conscience. Along with Natural Reason, the Indians also lack religion. During this time those who lacked religion and were not willing to adapt to the Christian faith were seen as inhuman. “We want this war in order to subdue …show more content…

He supports his argument that Indians are humans by first explaining how they are willing and able to learn and understand the Christian faith and do not need to be subdued. Second he brings about the point that they can be called “barbarians”, meaning those who behave savagely and wild, and still be wise and live a settled life. Las Casas even takes it a step further by explaining that before the Spaniard came and took over the Indians land, the Indians had organization, friendships, religion, and customs. Even though the Indians had a different way of living, they were a stable society that understood one another and loved their way of …show more content…

“…barbarians are those who do not live in accordance with Natural Reason…” (Found in the 8th objection of Prologue to the Members of the Congregation). Multiple times Las Casas have referred to the Indians as barbarians who lacked reasoning and morals. He believed the Indians to be savage, cruel, and wicked. He felt that war should be brought upon the “Freaks of Nature” to enslave them and teach them the correct way of living, the way the Spaniards felt was right. “The Indian race is not that barbaric…” (pg. 43 of Part 1: Colonial Beginnings and Independence). According to Las Casas there are four types of Barbarians which are classified under two categories. Three of types of Barbarians are placed under restricted category, meaning change is possible. The first type of Barbarian is those who are barbaric by circumstance, which are those who act against human reason because of their anger. The second type of Barbarian is those who were born into that barbaric lifestyle. By “born into” I mean the Indians native language is not the European language and because their language is different, they are unable to express themselves to the Spaniards making them seem incompetent and ignorant. And the third type of Barbarian is those who do not know or believe in the Christian faith. The fourth type of Barbarian is placed under the strict category, meaning change is unlikely. That type

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of schedule Spanish conquistadors, numerous evangelists considered themselves to be siding empathetically and defensively with the indigenous people groups. In 1537, Pope Paul III pronounced that Indians were not mammoths to be slaughtered or oppressed, but rather people with souls fit for salvation. At the time, this was comprehended to be an edified perspective of indigenous individuals, and one that good natured teachers tried to empower. Letters from ministers who lived among the Indians give us a feeling of the worries numerous held for the welfare of tribal people groups. A letter by Franciscan monk Juan de Escalona reprimands the "shocks against the Indians" conferred by a Spanish legislative head of what is presently New Mexico.

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The narrative from the Vatican surrounding the canonization of Father Serra inadvertently dismisses the negative impact the California Mission system had on the various native tribes in California. The Spanish colonization of California subsequently led to countless atrocities committed against the Native population in order to successfully control the region. One of the primary objectives of the Spanish was to convert the native populations to Christianity and ultimately control their way of life. This makes the Vatican’s effort to expedite Serra’s canonization particularly deplorable for the same Church that apologised to Native Americans for the actions of the Catholic church during the colonization of the Americas. Ultimately, Father Serra

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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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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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561 Words | 3 Pages

Cortes in his second letter says “[A]nd considering that these people were barbarous, so cut off from the knowledge of God and other civilized peoples, it is admirable to see what they have attained in every respect” giving to explain that they were considered barbarous creatures far away from the knowledge and understanding of the catholic religion. In the eyes of Cortes, this was something that could not be forgiven because it wasn’t what God, or the king of Spain would want in any human being. He defended with loyalty and fury the commandments and beliefs of his religion and his majesty, Charles

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states,”Beyond acts of individual cruelty, the Spanish disrupted the Indian ecosystem and culture. … The intrusion of rabbits and livestock caused further ecological disaster. Diseases new to the Indians played a role...” (54).

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Barbarity in Montaigne In “Of Cannibals” by Michel de Montaigne there is repeated usage of the word barbarous in different forms. Montaigne uses this word to describe the natives several times, however he also uses it introspectively to look at European society. The author’s usage of barbarous is revealing, it’s usage questions if the natives acts are savage or simply different but in no way more primitive than European acts. This question is explored throughout the essay as Montaigne struggles to define barbarity; whether it is acts of savagery, or simply foreign ideas or actions.

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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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This source was written in 1542, and this speech was given to the people of the country of Spain. The Martolome De Las Casas, the lord Prince of Spains don Felipe gave this speech to the people. Giving this speech, the Prince shows how horrid the idea of the Christians killing and destroying the Indies. The Christians represent the English and the Indies are the Indians. The Christians invaded North America and stole the Indians’ gold, food, and killed a multitude of them: “The cause for which the Christians have slain and destroyed so many and such infinite numbers of souls, has been simply to get, as their ultimate end, the Indians’ gold of them, and to stuff themselves with riches in a very few days, and to raise themselves to high estates...

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He showed in his writing how the Natives lived their lives, without the Spanish bias influence. Casas informed people, in his paper, “The Destruction of the Indies,” that Indians were not barbarians, but treated their family and friends with respect and dignity. Later in his paper Casas questioned Sepulveda about the war against the Indians and asked if it was necessary to get rid of the Indians, so called barbarism, because it seemed that the Spaniards were acting as the barbarians. Casas goes on to talk about how the Indians are brothers to the Spanish because Christ died for them too, so the Spaniards should take the Natives under their wings and teach them to read and

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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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The Indians are ironically, more civilized than the white people, for they communicate to solve disputes, and appear to have more manners than the whites. Franklin states, “The politeness of theses savages in conversation is indeed carried to excess.” This proves that the Indians indeed, were more polite, in ways such as declining politely to their impressions of education and religion. The Indian people don’t like to cause disputes, and they choose to listen before arguing. Although viewed as uncivilized savages, the Indians are actually polite, communicative people.

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