Spanish and Native Americans
... gold, wealth, and power. The Spanish were interested in gaining gold from the prosperous Aztec and Inca Empires, which were known to have more wealth than the Taino. When the Spaniards arrived in America, they realized it wouldn’t be difficult to attain their goals. The Indians were described as “humble, patient, and peaceable . . . the most devoid of rancors.” These descriptions refer back to de Las Casas’ document. The Spaniards believed the Natives would soon be conquered. Spain’s voracity for gold led them to devise cruel methods of treating the Native Americans. According to de Las Casas’ document, the Spanish killed many of the Natives during brutal wars. The Spaniards brought advanced weapons and ferocious animals with them and easily attacked the Natives. Conquistadors Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortes gained control of the large Aztec and Inca Empires by attacking the cities and holding the leaders hostage. They also formed alliances with other Indians who were against their unfair rulers. Based on information from A Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies and the political cartoon, after they killed thousands of the Indians, the Spanish enslaved any survivors. In his work, Bartolome de Las Casas expresses that the Native Americans were treated unjustly by the Europeans. The slaves were forced to toil by digging for gold in mines and hoeing land on plantations. Many Natives died from exhaustion and hunger. The political cartoon that we observed in class refers to the Columbian Exchange, which was an exchange of people, goods, ideas, and diseases between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The Native Americans received diseases and enslavement as a result of Spain’s settlement, and the Spanish gained gold and wealth. This deal between the Natives and Spaniards was unjust. The Indians were also forced to adopt Christianity by the Spanish, and missions, religious communities, were established. However, based on de Las Casas’ document, many Natives...