A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Las Casas begins A Short Account with this sentence: “Everything that has happened since the marvelous discovery of the Americas—from the short-lived initial attempts of the Spanish to settle there, right down to the present day—has been so extraordinary that the whole story remains quite incredible to anyone who has not experienced it at first hand” (20). At first glance this seems to be a positive take on the history of colonization. Why would Las Casas start his work with such a sentence? Consider who the text was written for in your response.

There are two types of law running throughout A Short Account: divine and imperial. Both inform Las Casas arguments. How does the author use these two precedents? Are there any points in the text where the two seem to collide? Use examples to support your answer.

Compare Las Casas’s depictions of genocide with another primary source on this or another genocide. How do the authors write genocide differently? What does this tell you about their arguments?

How are Las Casas’s arguments informed by his identity as a Dominican friar? Would Las Casas have the same opinion of Spanish colonization if he was not religious? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Las Casas mentions the term “conquest” twice in A Short Account, first in the Prologue and again in Chapter 7. What is the significance of this term? Does Las Casas agree with its meaning or call it into question?

A Short Account is often criticized as a misinformative historical text due to its selective narration of colonial activity, inflated death tolls, and potentially fictional anecdotes. Do you agree with this reading? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

When describing the sinking of a Spanish ship carrying slaves and gold back to Spain, Las Casas says, “in this way, God passed judgement on the great iniquities committed by the Spanish” (???). What is the significance of the theme of divine retribution in this text? Pay close attention to text’s intended audience when writing your answer.

Las Casas thoroughly details the New World’s resources and geography, and the text’s chapters are grouped by region or province. What is the significance of these choices?