What Are The Arguments Against Spanish Conquests

Words: 1602
Pages: 7
Open Document
In the tumultuous era spanning the late 15th to early 16th centuries, a profound shift in global dynamics unfolded as European powers ventured into uncharted territories, driven by a potent combination of ambition, greed, and religious zeal. This period witnessed the emergence of Spain as a formidable colonial power, propelled by a fervent belief in divine entitlement to conquer and subjugate distant lands. The Spanish, armed with religious doctrines and royal decrees, embarked on a quest for domination that would reverberate across continents, shaping the course of history and sparking intense opposition from various quarters. Throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Spanish justified their colonial conquests through religious …show more content…
This numbness causes the Spanish to lose sight of what is just, and de Las Casas goes as far as to say that “because the Spaniards have now lost all fear of God and of the King, they have ceased to know right from wrong. Because among so many and such different nations they have committed and continue to commit so many acts of cruelty, such terrible ravages, massacres, destructions, exterminations, thefts, violences and tyrannies of all kinds that all the things we have related are as nothing by comparison” (de Las Casas). de Las Casas focuses on using words such as “ravages,” “massacres,” “destructions,” “exterminations,” “thefts,” “violences,” and “tyrannies” to portray just how brutal these conquests were– so brutal that the Spanish lost sight of any moral compass they may have had. Though a Spaniard himself– and a religious one at that– de Las Casas found the Spanish’s religious justification for conquest to be abused and the violence they caused
Show More

Related Documents: What Are The Arguments Against Spanish Conquests

Essay on Conflict: the Basis for Latin American Change (Born in Blood and Fire: a Concise History of Latin America)

that death came to indigenous populations. Modern Latin America has conflict built into its system because that is what it has mostly seen for the past five hundred years. In Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, John Charles Chasteen supports the argument that Latin America's problems developed due to its violent origins and history of conquest. From the conquest, through colonialism and revolutions, to modern day, violence has always been a main player in the advancement of…

Words 1762 - Pages 8

Jared Diamond Incan American Analysis

that the Spanish were able to conquer the Inca with remarkable ease despite disadvantages of unfamiliarity with the land and possession of a much smaller army. In their respective pieces of writing, Jared Diamond and Charles C. Mann make claims that indicate their perceptions and beliefs regarding these reasons. Although Diamond makes an effective point about the Inca’s lack of horses and polished weaponry leading to their weakness against the Spanish, I better align with Mann’s argument that other…

Words 748 - Pages 3

Guns, Germs, And Steel: Theoretical Analysis

populations of the Americas due to their technological superiority, the diseases they brought and the militarily superior weapons. Jared Diamond’s book Guns, Germs, and Steel continues to justify and show support for European dominance. However, Diamond’s argument is a Eurocentric oversimplification of the reasons that led to European dominance across the world. Diamond’s whole theory is propagated on the concept that the sheer happenstance of ancient agricultural advances, domestication of animals, and technological…

Words 1597 - Pages 7

The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov Essay

The Conquest of America In the book The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov, Todorov brings about an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus, based on Columbus’ own writings. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a "marvelous" descriptive style. Todorov gives us an interpretation of Columbus’ discovery of America, and the Spaniards’ subsequent…

Words 3695 - Pages 15

Hernan Cortez Thesis

Hernan Cortez was a Spanish conquistador who is especially known for the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. He was born in Medellin, Spain in 1485 to a family with lesser nobility. His parents are known as Martin Cortes and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano. They hoped for their son to become a lawyer one day. However, no one imagined that the military ran in his blood; he would become known and remembered for such an important part in history. This is the time when one of the many military undertakings…

Words 1324 - Pages 6

Events of the Philippine Island Essay

There were no courses in Agriculture, Industry, etc., which were badly needed by the Philippines during those times. Fifth, the Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor. The officials reported to work at noon and left early, all the while doing nothing in line with their duties. The women were seen constantly followed by servants who dressed them and fanned them…

Words 1141 - Pages 5

Quapaw Women Analysis

them, rather they liked them. One primary source was Joseph Key, he noted that, “Marriages enabled the Quapaw’s to create stronger bonds with the French creoles.” This source was important to Toudji’s article because it was the foundation of what her argument was based on. The most important primary source Toudji cited was Jean Bossu, a French officer. He had saw the Quapaw and French connection over time. He visited the Quapaw in 1751, 1756, and then 1770-1771. The Quapaw wanted to know all about…

Words 903 - Pages 4

Literary Analization of The Strange Career of Jim Crow by C. Vann Woodward Essay

the map of the United States. Each party made sure not to upset the ideals of the other insofar as to cause another Civil War. He says how not even a Republican leader like Roosevelt, “will now dare to wave the bloody shirt and preach a crusade against the South’s treatment of the negro.” (73) This may prove, partially, as to why it took so long for civil rights reform in government legislature to occur. Despite these political efforts to keep peace, Southern influence on race went well up into…

Words 1335 - Pages 6

Essay about Sepulveda Democrates Alter

the conquered soil by the colonizers. In 1542, the Spanish "New Laws" decreed…

Words 3867 - Pages 16

American Civilization II Research Paper

Rodriguez Professor Cuddy American Civilization II 13 September 2014 Research Paper A misunderstanding of history can lead to assumptions about what kind of nation America was and has become over many centuries. Robert Kagan’s book, “A Dangerous Nation”, details his interpretations of the political, social, economic factors, and the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. This paper will make an informed decision on whether the war was justified or not by taking into account St. Augustine’s theory.…

Words 2107 - Pages 9