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Historia de las Indias, I
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
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As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
- GenresHistory
608 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2002
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About the author
Bartolomé de las Casas
311 books68 followersSpanish missionary and historian Bartolomé de las Casas sought to abolish the oppression and enslavement of the native peoples in the Americas.
This member of order of preachers, a 16th-century social reformer and Dominican friar, served as the first resident bishop of Chiapas and the first officially appointed "protector of the Indians." The most famous A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies and Historia de Las Indias of his extensive writings chronicle the first decades of colonization of the west and focus particularly on the atrocities that the colonizers committed against the indigenous.
In 1515, he reformed his views, gave up his encomienda, and advocated before Charles V, king and holy Roman emperor, on behalf of rights. In his early writings, he advocated the use of Africans instead in the West Indian colonies; consequently, people leveled criticisms as partly responsible for the beginning of the transatlantic trade. Later in life, he retracted those early views and came to see all equally wrong forms. In 1522, he attempted to launch a new kind of peaceful colonialism on the coast of Venezuela, but this venture failed, causing las Casas to enter the Dominican order as a friar and to leave the public scene for a decade. He then traveled to central to undertake peaceful evangelization among the Maya of Guatemala and participated in debates among the Mexican churchmen about best to bring to the Christian faith. He traveled back to recruit and continued lobbying against the encomienda, gaining an important victory by the passing of the New Laws in 1542. He was appointed bishop of Chiapas, but served only for a short time before he was forced to return because the encomenderos resisted the new laws, and conflicts with settlers because of his pro-Indian policies and activist religious stances. The remainder of his life was spent at the court where he held great influence over Indies-related issues. In 1550 he participated in the Valladolid debate; he argued against Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda that the Indians were fully human and that forcefully subjugating them was unjustifiable. Sepúlveda countered that they were less than human and required masters in order to become civilized.
Bartolomé de las Casas spent 50 years of his life actively fighting and the violent colonial abuse of indigenous, especially by trying to convince the court to adopt a more humane policy of colonization. His efforts resulted in several improvements in the legal status, and in an increased colonial focus on the ethics of colonialism. Las Casas is often seen as one of the first advocates for universal Human Rights
This member of order of preachers, a 16th-century social reformer and Dominican friar, served as the first resident bishop of Chiapas and the first officially appointed "protector of the Indians." The most famous A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies and Historia de Las Indias of his extensive writings chronicle the first decades of colonization of the west and focus particularly on the atrocities that the colonizers committed against the indigenous.
In 1515, he reformed his views, gave up his encomienda, and advocated before Charles V, king and holy Roman emperor, on behalf of rights. In his early writings, he advocated the use of Africans instead in the West Indian colonies; consequently, people leveled criticisms as partly responsible for the beginning of the transatlantic trade. Later in life, he retracted those early views and came to see all equally wrong forms. In 1522, he attempted to launch a new kind of peaceful colonialism on the coast of Venezuela, but this venture failed, causing las Casas to enter the Dominican order as a friar and to leave the public scene for a decade. He then traveled to central to undertake peaceful evangelization among the Maya of Guatemala and participated in debates among the Mexican churchmen about best to bring to the Christian faith. He traveled back to recruit and continued lobbying against the encomienda, gaining an important victory by the passing of the New Laws in 1542. He was appointed bishop of Chiapas, but served only for a short time before he was forced to return because the encomenderos resisted the new laws, and conflicts with settlers because of his pro-Indian policies and activist religious stances. The remainder of his life was spent at the court where he held great influence over Indies-related issues. In 1550 he participated in the Valladolid debate; he argued against Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda that the Indians were fully human and that forcefully subjugating them was unjustifiable. Sepúlveda countered that they were less than human and required masters in order to become civilized.
Bartolomé de las Casas spent 50 years of his life actively fighting and the violent colonial abuse of indigenous, especially by trying to convince the court to adopt a more humane policy of colonization. His efforts resulted in several improvements in the legal status, and in an increased colonial focus on the ethics of colonialism. Las Casas is often seen as one of the first advocates for universal Human Rights
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August 3, 2023
Más que un libro esto es un documento histórico. Para escribirlo el autor utilizó una gran cantidad de información de primerísima mano; por ejemplo, los diarios de Colón, hoy perdidos, de los que se conservan los fragmentos que él copió, ya que tuvo los originales. Todo eso hace que los datos aportados sean tan fiables como las fuentes citadas. Y ahí está el problema, que las fuentes no son siempre tan fiables como el quiere creer. Hay informaciones interesantísimas que han sido corroboradas por otros lados, pero en cambio se hace a veces eco de dichos, leyendas o simplemente opiniones que alguien le contó. Hoy podemos descartar como inverosímiles muchas cosas que cuenta, como las que se refieren a la situación del paraíso terrenal o sus disquisiciones teológicas basadas en la Biblia. Por contra, dibuja la vida en América de los primeros colonos como alguien que estuvo allí.
El estilo es farragoso, se repite, mete latinajos continuamente, cita a autores antiguos para defender sus tesis, vuelve una y otra vez sobre lo mismo. Pero es difícil que haya un libro mejor para entender ese momento histórico.
El estilo es farragoso, se repite, mete latinajos continuamente, cita a autores antiguos para defender sus tesis, vuelve una y otra vez sobre lo mismo. Pero es difícil que haya un libro mejor para entender ese momento histórico.
Displaying 1 of 1 review