Beschreibung:
This is a short history of the age of exploration and the conquestof the Americas told through the experience of Bartolomé delas Casas, a Dominican friar who fervently defended the AmericanIndians, and the single most important figure of the period afterColumbus.* Explores the period known as the Encounter, which wascharacterized by intensive conflict between Europeans and thepeople of the Americas following Columbus's voyages* Argues that Las Casas, 'protector of Indians,' wasprimarily motivated by Scripture in his crusade for justice andequality for American Indians* Draws on the 14 volume Complete Works of Las Casas as a windowinto his mind and actions* Encourages students to understand history through the viewpointof individuals living it
List of IllustrationsSeries Editor's PrefaceAcknowledgmentsTimelineIntroduction1. The Era of Columbus and the "Discoverers"Modern interpretationsConquest of La Española2. Justice for AllDiscovering his callingFather Montesinos' sermonLas Casas goes to CubaTo SpainMeeting Ferdinand3. Social Experiments: The Hieronymite Mission and the UniversalProtector of All the Indians4. The Era of the Conquests of Mexico and Peru,1520s-1540sSeville, autumn, 1520The conquest of Mexico5. The New Laws of 1542 and Bishop of ChiapaLaying the groundworkBishop of Chiapa6. "All Mankind is One": On the Nature of Humans,Servitude, and SlaveryBartolomé de las Casas and the African slavetradeConclusionNotesBibliographic EssayIndex