Destruction of the Indies

In recent discussions of Destruction of the Indies and of the 16th century Spanish exploration in general, a controversial issue has been the mistreatment of the natives who lived in the land they wished to inhibit. On one hand, some argue that some of these Spaniards truly wished to convert them to the christian faith because they believed they could not be "saved" without it. On the other hand however, some argue that too many did not have such pure intentions. This view is more strongly supported, since it is backed by shocking eye witness reports, such as The Cruelties of the Spaniards Committed in America by Bartolome de Las Casas. Some of the most horrid passages include "They lay wagers among themselves, who should with a sword at one blow cut, or divide a man in two; or which of them should decollate or behead a man, with the greatest dexterity" where Bartolome describes how nonchalantly the well armed Spaniards took the "threat" of the Natives. According to the views of Bartolome and many others, the Spaniards were cold-hearted, cruel people, who were okay with doing anything to get what they wanted in the simplest way possible. In sum then, the issue is whether or not a few, good-intentioned Spaniards can balance out for the chaste actions of their brethren.