HIS 111
De Las Casas Paper

 

 

 

 

Statue of Fray Bartolomé De Las Casas (1484-1566), Palacio de San Telmo, Sevilla

De Las Casas was an early advocate for the rights of the peoples of the native Americans and a spokesman against the brutal Spanish behavior in the New World. As a Dominican priest he traveled back and forth across the Atlantic trying to have Spanish laws and practices repealed or ended. Despite his tireless efforts he was unable to repeal the encomienda system. He was also the first bishop of Chiapas. Photo credit González-Alba.

De Las Casas

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Read Bartolomé De Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1552) (in its entirety).

Answer the following question in a one-page paper.

Citing specific evidence from De Las Casas (not from the textbook), explain two or three of the main Spanish motives for their actions in the New World.

Before proceeding, you might wish to read the short notes on De Las Casas and review the study questions on De Las Casas.

Your paper must follow this format.

Please take a moment to review Charlie's History Writing Center(See the tutorial on the one-page paper and the paper examples.) for specific information on the writing requirements for the assignments in the course. There is also a good example of a one-page paper available that will show you how to structure your paper. Please check this short explanation of what it means to cite historical evidence.

Your assignment should be submitted on Canvas.