Indians example essay topic
Knowing that war and massacre would never inspire conversion from anyone he decides to try and stop it. He also feels that it is inhumane that the Indians are treated worst than animals when they are human like any other Spaniard. He decides to appeal to the masses, King Phillip, and try to change the system applied in the New World and end the encomienda. The Indians have a right to their own land since they are native to it even though they have different traditions they may be converted if treated equally and are not annihilated by the Conquistadors.
So he decides to write an account to the King hoping it will change the laws over the Indians. Thanks to his vivid explanations and descriptions he achieves part of his goals. Throughout his life Las Casas traveled around the New World trying to promote his faith, Christianity. Though he narrates about many places he visits the theme is the same for all where the Indians are slaughtered like animals and the Spanish are "mortal enemies of the human race". (p 43) There are different situations but its always that the Spanish arrive, the Indians try to hide, the chief is captured, Spanish looks for gold, finally Indians murdered or taken as slaves. That is the basic body of the account being quite repetitive yet it is described with bloody and offensive details providing much emotion lacking objectivity. He especially tried to create an atmosphere of pity by referring to "pregnant women, mothers of newborn babes, children and old men" (p 59) every time he'd mention a village massacre.
And then he'd mention how " a few of these people survive, they will not cease to tell and re-tell, in their areitos and dances, just we do at home in Spain with our ballads, this sad story of massacre" (p 51) so that the reader may feel compassion. It's an obvious attempt of persuasion into feeling guilt and remorse even if it meant exaggerating on how the Spaniards inflicted pain on the Indians. Such as when he describes "the indiscriminate slaughter of many locals, hanging some, burning others alive, and throwing yet others to wild dogs, sometimes sawing of their hands and feet, sometimes pulling out their tongues or hacking off their heads. Even though the locals never raised a finger against the Spaniards, the distinguished commander knowingly allowed this spate of atrocities to continue unchecked" (p 69). According to this the Indians were always punished and could never help themselves. Though Las Casas was not the first to start The Black Legend he helo jsfkjk.