The traditional presentation of many events supported by the general public is often incorrect as it is not based on verified historical sources. Moreover, it is always necessary to consider the positions of all parties involved in specific historical processes and events. The present paper provides the relevant analysis based on A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies by Bartolome de las Casas. In general, the objective historical facts demonstrate that the negative social effects outweighed the positive impact of the arrival of Europeans.
A large number of people tend to believe that the European colonization of America was beneficial to all parties involved. In particular, it is claimed that the native population of America received unique opportunities for the civilized development. At the same time, it is always reasonable to consult the current historical facts and documents that describe the interrelationship between native people and Europeans. Las Casas proves that the attitude of Native Americans towards Spaniards was very positive. They were open to the mutually beneficial communication and trade. They did not show any signs of aggressive behavior.
Moreover, many Native Americans considered Spanish people to be of divine origin. Spaniards successfully utilized this misrepresentation claiming that only they constituted “the sole Knowledge and Understanding of the Deity.” However, their further behavior proved that they were interested only in the large-scale exploitation of Native Americans. They used their supposed divine origin for imposing the artificially difficult conditions on the native population. In fact, they exploited Native Americans to obtain additional material goods and other sources of wealth.
The actions of Spanish conquerors were often very brutal and aggressive. They were even unable to regulate the use of force in accordance with their own long-term economic interests. The violent and aggressive behavior led to the complete depopulation of Ten Kingdoms, although their initial population was higher than that of Spain. Thus, neither the supposed Christian values nor Native Americans' positive attitude towards Spaniards prevented them from the unprecedented exploitation of the native population. Las Casas states that Spaniards were responsible for killing around 50 million people, including women and children. Thus, no rational causes can justify such an extraordinary scope of violence.
These historical accounts show that the ultimate effects of European colonization were mostly negative as they did not address the interests of local populations. Spanish conquerors considered these people only to be a means of addressing their narrow self-interests. The scale of aggression was very big, and it destroyed the comparatively developed civilizations of Native Americans. Spanish people did not respect the basic Native Americans' rights and exploited even children for maximizing their short-term gains. These cases and historical facts should become known to the general public to reconsider the current outcomes of Europeans' arrival in the Americas.
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To summarize, the historical information provided by Las Casas proves several important facts. Firstly, the interactions between Native Americans and Europeans were not voluntary and mutually beneficial. Spanish conquerors utilized the native population's belief in them as divine representatives for their exploitation. Secondly, the cruelty and violence expressed by Spanish people were unprecedentedly great. It led to the killing of 50 million Native Americans, including children and women. These cases of cruelty are in a direct contradiction with the supposed Christian values and civilized behavior that should be demonstrated by the representatives of developed countries. In general, it is evident that the arrival of Europeans in the Americas was harmful to the human race as it destroyed the unique civilizations of Native Americans.
