HIS 111 De Las Casas Paper Assignment
Statue of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), Palacio de San Telmo, Sevilla
De Las Casas was an early advocate for the rights of the peoples of the native Americans and a spokesman against the brutal Spanish behavior in the New World. As a Dominican priest he travelled back and forth across the Atlantic trying to have Spanish laws and practices repealed or ended. Despite his tireless efforts he was unable to repeal the encomienda system. He was also the first bishop of Chiapas. Photo credit González-Alba.
Answer the following question in a one-page paper:
Citing specific evidence from De Las Casas (not from the textbook), explain two or three of the main Spanish motives for their actions in the New World.
- typed using a word processor (font size 10 or 12 only)
- one-inch margins
- double-spaced
- page number citations for your quoted evidence
- not to exceed one (1) page
- name, date and HIS 111, depending on your course, at the top left
- must have a brief introduction and conclusion (each not to exceed two sentences)
- You may consider submitting drafts of your assignment to your instructor for feedback before submitting the assignment for a grade. Please send some specific questions that you would like answered about your draft. The questions can be general (Is my introduction clear?) or specific (Is the phrase, "Chardin was jeweller," written correctly?). You can send in multiple drafts (within reason) of an assignment before you submit for a grade.
- At times, you may be asked to rewrite your essay before it is graded. This is done for your own benefit and will result in an improved grade.
Before proceeding, you might wish to read the short notes on de las Casas and review the study questions on De Las Casas.
The De Las Casas Paper is worth a maximum of 100 points.