Response to "Destruction of the Indies"

My response to Bartolomé de Las Casas' "Destruction of the Indies" using templates...


Bartolomé states that the Spaniards treated the Indians "as the most abject dung and filth of the Earth", which is supported by his eye-witness accounts showing us that the Spaniards were inhumanly cruel. The Indians were submissive towards the Spaniards, even viewed them as heavenly beings, but the Spaniards assaulted the Indians "like most cruel Tygers, Wolves and Lions hunger-starv'd". On the Island of Hispaniola, the Spaniards "spar'd no Age, or Sex, nay not so much as Women with Child", "inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords". The three million people of Hispaniola was taken down to just three hundred. "Spaniards by their barbarous and execrable Actions have absolutely depopulated Ten Kingdoms, of greater extent than all Spain...which now lye wast and desolate, and are absolutely ruined, when as formerly no other Country whatsoever was more populous."

How could the Spaniards possibly act so viciously? Their slaughter was promoted by a few things: their ambition, the wealth of the regions, and the humility of the Indians. Though, I have to say this is no excuse for the innumerable cruelities performed upon the Indians, many of which the saddened Bartolomé de Las Casas was an eye-witness to. He said that, "above Twelve Millions have undeservedly perished...without understanding the true Faith or Sacraments". Yes, I think there could have been many better ways for Spain to expand its nation other this reckless slaughter of the new fertile and spacious lands they were blessed to chance upon.