75). Thus, the priest understood what he was up against and attempted to sway his listeners with things that would appeal to their ideas and ideals. He was wise beyond his years, and he enjoyed everything from ridicule to censure because of it, but that did not stop him from truly believing in his cause and in the rights of his fellow human beings.
It is important to note that throughout his life, Las Casas did not lose his faith in God, even when his attempts to stop brutalization of the natives did not work. His faith did not falter, but his faith in humankind did. He joined the Dominican order after twelve years of attempting change and reform, and he continued to believe peaceful reform was what was necessary. The author continues, "This consisted of peaceful persuasion and appeal to the reason of the hearers; war was never justified" (Vickery, 2006, p. 115). The author makes it clear that the man's message stayed consistent throughout his lifetime, and that makes him larger than life in the eyes of the author, something that is very prevalent throughout this work.
Vickery's book is a detailed attempt to bring Las Casas to life for the reader, and to share the priest's strong convictions with the reader. He uses direct quotes, exhaustive research, and a scholarly writing style to achieve his goals and defend his thesis. At the heart of the book is the Spanish conquest and their desire to convert, at just about any cost, the "heathen" natives they discovered in the West Indies and Caribbean. The author notes, "Among other instructions, the monarchs specifically charged Columbus to work diligently for the conversion of the inhabitants of both the islands and mainland to the Catholic faith" (Vickery, 2006, p. 19). The book clearly has a pro-Catholic stance, which may take away from some of its authority on the life of Las Casas, because it may be more biased than a non-Catholic reference. However, all in all,...
Bartoleme De Las Casas An Analysis of the Activism of Bartoleme De Las Casas Often characterized by modern historians as the "Defender and the apostle to the Indians," Bartolome de Las Casas is known for exposing and condemning as well as exaggerating and misrepresenting the violent practices of Spanish colonizers of the New World against Native Americans. Marked by emotional polemic and often embellished statistics, Las Casas' voluminous works brought him both
(1542). Accessed October 5, 2010 at http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bdorsey1/41docs/02-las.html Reaction 2: Bartolome de Las Casas' brief biography and timeline The Christian humanitarian Bartolome de Las Casas is characterized as one of the world's earliest international human rights advocates. During the Age of European Imperialism and conquest of the New World, Las Casas is justifiably called a colonist rather than a conquistador, although at the beginning of his ventures in the New World he took
Colonial Hispaniola Citation (Primary source) Las Casas, Bartolome de. "Brief account of the devastation of the Indies," 1542. From Human Rights: An Anthology of Texts. Warsaw: The Office of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, 2008. Accessed December 21, 2011 at http://www.rpo.gov.pl/pliki/12289972270.pdf This primary source account offers a highly idealized view of the colonized persons of Hispaniola. It is said that the natives are peaceful, hold no grudges, are humble, patient, and kind and
New Spain, Mexico The Culture of New Spain: the Rise and Fall of Mexico The conquest of New Spain defined contemporary Mexican culture to a great degree. But that conquest has been ongoing and did not stop with the conquistadors and the implementation of Catholicism and Spanish customs in Mexico. From the time Columbus brought the Spanish flag to the West Indies (1492) to the 19th century, New Spain was informed by
Colonization European Colonization Father Bartolome de Las Casas Father Bartolome de Las Casas is one of the most prominent advocates of the Cuban indigenous people. He actually owned slaves himself at one point, yet he set his own slaves free and renounced the practice. He also joined the Dominican order of Christianity and protested against the cruel and unusual punishment that the indigent people had suffered. He was especially against the practice of
Discussion The focus of this work has been to answer the questions of: (1) How was the slave trade practiced in Europe and Africa before 1550, in comparison to the slave trade in and between the two regions after 1550?' And (2) 'What were the main differences between the two periods in terms of their origins, motivations and effects on African society?' These two time periods, before 1550 and after 1550 have
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now