Reference no: EM133548943

Assignment:

As you learned in this module's readings, Bartolomé de Las Casas was a Spanish priest and former conquistador who was so appalled by the atrocities committed by Spanish settlers in New Spain that he felt compelled to reveal them in his book, A Very Brief Recital of the Destruction of the Indies. Published in 1552, this book exposed the brutal nature of colonization and its disastrous impact on the lives of Native Americans. Perhaps most importantly, de Las Casas questioned the idea that the conquistadors were noble Christians bringing civilization and salvation to the indigenous peoples living in the Americas. This book was so important that de Las Casas is frequently referred to as.

Respond

After reading the account, discuss how de Las Casas defended the Indians against the treatment of the Spanish settlers.

1. How does de Las Casas describe the Indians he is seeking to protect?

2. What words does he use to describe the actions of the conquistadors and settlers?

3. Identify two specific statements he makes that you think are most important and explain why you chose them.

4. Finally, use information from the module and your research to evaluate de Las Casas' claims.

• Was he accurate in his portrayals?

Use information from the module and other scholarly sources to support your positions.

Your initial response should address the prompts in the discussion topic. It should be substantial (at least three hundred in length) and contain citations for at least two scholarly sources you utilized in your response. It is expected that your responses to peers should focus on creating topical depth connections with peers to gain a varied and new insight into the topic and be at least *one hundred and fifty legnth.