History of the United States I / Unit 2 USH1 0177 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Las Casas and the Black Legend
Captions available
The idea
Las Casas held an encomienda and enslaved people himself. In fifteen fifteen he released them, gave up the encomienda, and began advocating humane treatment.
In practice
His account describing Spaniards as fierce wolves and tigers and lions.
Where people slip
Spain's rivals seized on his writings to present their own colonisation as more humane. That is the Black Legend.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for History of the United States I