The Destruction of the West Indies and the Legacy of Christopher Columbus

After the death of Christopher Columbus, a friar named Bartolome de Las Casas chronicled the events which occurred during the first forty years of colonization.  Las Casas also translated the diaries of Columbus, which we used throughout our study.  Las Casas insights and eye witness accounts demonstrate the true brutality of life in colonial Hispaniola.  They also create an interesting question regarding the legacy of Christopher Columbus.  We hope you have enjoyed this unit and join us in two weeks when we discuss a new unit, "The Age of Exploration."  

Read de las Casas’ A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies: https://amzn.to/35mfnMu  (https://amzn.to/35mfnMu )

More on Bartolome de las Casas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolom%C3%A9_de_las_Casas  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartolom%C3%A9_de_las_Casas )

More on Joanna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Castile  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Castile )

More on Charles I (Holy Roman Emperor Charles V): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V,_Holy_Roman_Emperor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V,_Holy_Roman_Emperor) 

More on Caonabo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caonabo  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caonabo )

More on Anacaona: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacaona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacaona) 

More on Pedro Arias Davila: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Arias_D%C3%A1vila (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Arias_D%C3%A1vila) 

More on the Valladolid Debate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valladolid_debate  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valladolid_debate )

Holy Roman Empire Map, courtesy of: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/bprgii/the_habsburg_empire_of_charles_v_the_first_empire/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/bprgii/the_habsburg_empire_of_charles_v_the_first_empire/)