Homework for Monday, September 8

Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish, Franciscan monk who traveled with the conquistadors and witnessed the treatment of the indigenous peoples by the Spanish colonists.  He condemned their behavior in a text called A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies which he illustrated with graphic depictions of the Spanish atrocities.

Read the following excerpt from his work and examine the images below.











What words does Bartolome de las Casas use to describe the Spaniards?  the Indians?
According to the illustrations, what types of atrocities did the Spanish commit against the Indians?
How do you think Europeans felt when they saw these illustrations and read las Casas' book?

How does this account of the Spanish exploration compare to the letter written by Columbus and the account of the meeting between Moctezuma and Cortes?