The views of Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé De las Casas

Essay Instructions:

In writing this essay, integrate information from the textbook with the primary and secondary source readings. Write an introduction paragraph and present a thesis to the reader. Choose relevant and specific examples to support your arguments in an appropriate number of body paragraphs. Write a unified essay while answering all of the bulleted questions and organize the information by placing it in logical sequence. Come to a conclusion in a separate paragraph.

The use of any other sources beyond the ones assigned as well as the textbook in writing the essay is not expected. If other sources are used to gather information they must be documented and “historical” or written by a professional and identifiable historian; in other words, the historian’s name must be ascribed to the writing. If information (not just quotations) is used from a source and not documented, that is plagiarism, a form of cheating. See the section on documentation and Academic Honesty in the Syllabus. Also, if direct quotations are used from the sources assigned, textbook, or any other material they must be properly documented and a works cited page included.

Essays should be 900 to 1200 words long, double-spaced with normal margins, in a 12 font, and your name and a title at the top. Indicate paragraph separation by indenting the first line rather than adding additional space. The essay should be in formal English, using proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Late papers may be downgraded 10% for every day late. Again, 900 words is the minimum requirement. Failure to follow through on these guidelines will result in a less than desirable grade. Save the essay with your last name and Primary-Secondary Source Essay 1 as the title.

Reading Texts in Older English:

The primary selections below are from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Because many of the words used may be unfamiliar, use a dictionary. Read these sources slowly to extract the meaning and treat every clause like a sentence. Always look for the declarative statement that the author is trying to convey amidst his ornamentation. After becoming more accustomed to reading these texts, students can begin to relish the beauty of the language. Since written language was the only mode of distance communication, even people with very little formal education wrote very well.

Primary and Secondary Source Selections and Topics (the readings are available directly below these instructions):

1. READ:

Sources: Letter from the First Voyage (Columbus) and Apologetic History of the Indies (de las Casas)

Using all of the text, secondary, and primary source readings, write an essay discussing the views of the two men, particularly in regard to the Native Americans, and answering the following questions:

Considering the secondary source information, in what ways does the voyage by Columbus reflect the changes in Europe during the Renaissance?

What was Columbus’ purpose in writing the letter? What would you surmise is his overall view of the Natives? What factors influenced Columbus’ view of Native peoples?

What appear to be the overall goals of the Spanish Explorers? Can you make some generalizations of the overall view by Europeans of alien cultures?

Does Las Casa’s view of the Indians differ from Columbus’? How? In what ways do they operate from the same assumptions?

What is the “Doctrine of Discovery” and how does this concept impact modern-day views of Columbus?