A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies facts for kids
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Cover of the Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias
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| Author | Bartolomé de las Casas |
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| Original title | La Brevísima relación |
| Country | Spanish Empire |
| Language | Spanish |
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Publication date
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1552 |
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (Spanish: Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias) is a book written by a Spanish friar named Bartolomé de las Casas. He was part of the Dominican Order. The book was written in 1542 and published in 1552. It describes the very cruel acts and unfair treatment of the indigenous peoples of the Americas during the time of Spanish colonization. Las Casas sent this important report to Prince Philip II of Spain.
Contents
Why the Book Was Written
Bartolomé de las Casas explained in the introduction that he had lived in the Spanish colonies for fifty years. This experience gave him the right and duty to write about what he saw.
Las Casas Becomes a Protector
In 1516, Las Casas was given the title of Protector of the Indians. This happened after he told Cardinal Cisneros that the native population was shrinking. This was due to hard work and bad treatment by Spanish officials.
While Las Casas was the Protector, some church leaders tried to change the system. This system forced native people to work. However, Las Casas felt their efforts were not enough to protect the native people. So, he went back to Spain in 1517 to ask the Spanish king for help.
Fighting for Justice
From 1517 to 1540, Las Casas traveled many times between Spain and the Spanish colonies in Latin America. He tried hard to find a way for Spanish leaders and his own efforts to work together. He wanted to improve the lives of native people under Spanish rule. One main reason for his travels was to keep protesting the bad treatment of native people by the Spanish colonists.
In 1542, Las Casas first wrote the book known as A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. At that time, Charles V of Spain ordered meetings to discuss forced religious changes and unfair use of native people. Las Casas showed his book to the Council of the Indies. It was proof of the terrible things done to native people by colonial leaders.
What the Book Says
The book was written for Prince Philip II of Spain. Las Casas tried to make the Prince feel sympathy throughout his story. One reason he wrote the book was his fear that Spain would face punishment from God. He also worried about the souls of the Native peoples.
Examples of Cruelty
The book is one of the first times a Spanish writer from that era showed examples of unfair treatment. This happened to indigenous people in the early days of the Spanish conquest of the Greater Antilles. This was especially true on the island of Hispaniola.
De las Casas noticed that the Spanish were doing the same cruel things everywhere he visited.
- On Hispaniola, the Spanish would trap people in straw buildings and set them on fire. This burned the people inside alive.
- Men were forced to work in mines to dig for gold. This was incredibly hard labor.
- Women were forced to farm the land. This was also very tiring, even for strong men.
- They were given very little food, mostly just plants. Because of this, mothers who were nursing babies had no milk. So, many young babies died.
On Puerto Rico and Jamaica, Las Casas saw the Spanish doing "innumerable Robberies and Villanies" (many robberies and wicked acts). He said that these two islands once had at least six hundred thousand people. But by his time, there were hardly two hundred people left on either island.
On Cuba, one Spanish leader caused over two hundred native people to take their own lives. Many more people died this way. Also, more than six thousand children died because their parents were forced to work in the mines.
The Book's Impact
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies is very important for how historians today understand colonial Latin America. By comparing what we know now with Las Casas's descriptions, we can learn about European views and biases during the colonization of the Americas.
Changing Views on Slavery
In his earlier writings, De Las Casas suggested using African slaves to protect native people. However, he later changed his mind. He then spoke out against the enslavement of both native people and Africans. Las Casas supported the idea of Spanish colonies in the Americas. But he strongly spoke against the abuse of indigenous people.
A New Way of Thinking
De Las Casas used the term "New World" to describe the Americas. He did not use "ancient world" for Spain or Europe. This change in words helped move history away from old medieval ideas about geography. It led to a more modern way of thinking about the world. De Las Casas introduced the people of the Americas to the Spanish King in a political way. He presented them within the context of the Spanish empire.
De Las Casas is also known as one of the first writers to describe the indigenous people of the Americas in terms of race. He argued that they were part of the human race. He described their bodies, skin color, language, and culture. In A Short Account, De Las Casas helped create a new understanding of native people. This was within the European ideas of race at the time.
New Laws and Debates
His book helped lead to the New Laws of 1542 in Spain. These laws were very important because they ended native slavery for the first time in European colonial history. The book also led to the Valladolid debate. This was a famous discussion about how native people should be treated. Las Casas used his book to convince the King of Spain about the cruel acts of the Spanish Conquistadors. He focused on the suffering caused by the conquistadors. He did not mention diseases, so the King would focus on the soldiers' behavior.
Later Influence
The book was printed again in 1620. It was often reprinted in the Netherlands and other countries fighting against Spain's power. The title was sometimes changed in other languages to make the bad effects of the Spanish conquest seem even worse. The terrible scenes Las Casas described were later shown in pictures by Theodor de Bry. These pictures helped create the idea known as the Spanish Black Legend.
How the Book Persuades Readers
Scholars praise A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies for how well it persuades readers. De Las Casas compares the cruel treatment by the Spanish conquistadors with the natural goodness of the native people. He does this in an exaggerated way to make his argument stronger. De Las Casas rewrote and edited this book to make his best case for the native people.
See Also
In Spanish: Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias para niños
Images for kids
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The cruelties used by the Spaniards on the Indians
