A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1542) is an account that was authored by the Spanish Dominican friar Bartolome de las Casas in 1542 and published in 1552. The writing was about the mistreatment of atrocities that were committed against the indigenous people of the United States of America during the colonial period. After the indigenous were mistreated, they were finally sent to Prince Philip II of Spain. However, the United States of America was a country that had been attacked by most of the European superpowers that were fighting hard to dominate the region. However, by this time, some immigrants had traveled to the United States of America in search of greener pasture. Through the “Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies,” Bartolome De Las Casas highlighted several mistreatments the indigenous were facing in the United States of America before 1542.
Various things have been discussed in the “Account of the Destruction of Indies” (1542) that allows the reader to be more aware on what was happening in the United States of America during the colonial era (De La Casas). However, by this period the United States of America was under the leadership of Spanish as the main colonialist. The indigenous were facing a hard time in the New World (United States of America). Las Casas was one of the Americans who had sailed in one of the Columbus Voyage, and this explains why Las Casas was able to come up with an article that had tangible evidence on what happens to the indigenous in the US during the colonial era. According to Las Casas, a wholesale massacre had been contacted to the indigenous that were living in the US during this period. After Las Casas witnessed the mass killing of the Indians in the US, he became a defender of the Indians. According to Las Casas, it was not easy now that the colonial government of the day had segregated the Indians and created a bad image of the Indians to the US natives (De La Casas). Besides, the killing the Indians were exposed to torture and slavery as well as forced labor. Las Casas indicates that it was very wrong to see human beings being mistreated by their colleagues on the basis that their skin color was different. By the time Las Casas was writing the article the Columbus region that had the most significant number of Indians had been turned into a genocide zone, and this led to the descending of the evangelizing vision of the Columbus. The Indians faced it rough, and this was one of the reasons why Las Casas decided to fight for the neglected society of the Indians.
However, during this period when the Indians were being mistreated by the Spanish leadership a lot was happening both in the US and outside the US. This was a period when most of the European powers were positioning themselves ready to be part of colonizing the United States of America (De La Casas). The US was a strategic region for European powers because it provided great land for plantation farming, and this was one way of creating employment in a country that was growing economically. However, by this period Las Casas was writing the article some new immigrants were coming into the US and slave trade was one of the ordinary business that was taking place in Africa and some parts of Europe as well in America. France and the United Kingdom were busy strategizing on how to conquer the Spanish kingdom in America and take full charge of the US. The US had proof that it was a great asset and this was why every superpower from Europe wanted to take full control of the United States of America.
While writing the article on “the Account of Destruction of the Indies” Las Casas was targeting the local natives who were being treated as the legit US citizens. Las Casas wanted to create a society that would allow everyone living in the US to enjoy their human rights (De La Casas). However, it was not easy, but through the influence of the locals who were legit US citizens, Prince Phillip of the Spanish Kingdom changed his mind on how to treat the Indians. Through the article more US citizens became aware of what was happening to the Indians who were their neighbors, and this was the reason why the Prince of the Spanish kingdom declared that Indians were to be allowed to enjoy their human rights.
The author of this novel was successful in many ways. After Las Casas discussed more on the challenges and killings that were faced by the Indians, the Spanish government started protecting the Indians. Even after new colonies came into the US, the Indians were safe, and there was no other period that their Indians were tortured or killed. Afterward the Indians became a superior race when compared to the African Americans, and this was because everyone was aware of what had happened to the Indians in the previous years.