![]() Readers whose knowledge of Spanish history does not come from picture books have been more skeptical of the fiery Dominican. The so-called “Black Legend”-the idea that Spanish imperialism was categorically more brutal than any other country’s-derives in large part from the Brief Relation, which was immediately translated into every European language and enthusiastically embraced by Spain’s Protestant rivals, especially after Flemish engraver and virulent anti-Catholic Theodor de Bry introduced his gory illustrations in 1590. ![]() His Brief Relation of the Destruction of the Indiesremains a standard work on the Conquest, notwithstanding the transparent implausibility of its long-debunked death counts. It was too late to save the Tainos and the Caribbean’s other peaceful tribes, but Las Casas can claim credit for the fact that Mexico never became a slave society, thanks to policy decisions made by the imperial court during his period of greatest influence.įive centuries later, the moral victory has clearly gone to Las Casas. On the other hand, she did not abandon her efforts at legislative protection of the natives, either. Obviously Spain did not relinquish her possessions in the New World. If the judges of the junta wrote opinions, those documents have been lost to history, and we possess no record of any verdict from the Council of the Indies. Whether that moratorium would be lifted, and under what terms, was to be decided by this titanic battle.Īmazingly, the outcome of the debate is unknown. The emperor had put a moratorium on all new expeditions in America while the morality of the conquest was being settled. Judging their arguments was a panel of Spain’s most distinguished minds, and behind them loomed the figure of Charles V, ruler of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. ![]() On the other was Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, former history tutor to the heir to the throne and a staunch defender of the conquistadors. On one side was Bartolomé de las Casas, age sixty-five, then at the climax of a lifetime of humanitarian advocacy on behalf of the Indians. For six days straight, two men debated the morality of Spain’s treatment of the Indians in the New World. The Controversy of Valladolid of 1550 was one of the great dramatic set pieces of the Spanish Conquest. ![]()
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