The Black Legend & Spanish Treatment of Natives
Part 1 - The Black Legend
A. Watch Crash Course U.S. History: The Black Legend
B. Read the following excerpt from Digital History &
summarize what the “Black Legend” was all about.
Summary:
Part 2 - Labor Systems
A. Encomienda System: Explain what this system is and how the
Spanish used it.
Summary:
B. Repartimiento System: Explain what this system is and how the
Spanish used it.
Summary:
COMPARISON QUESTION: What are the differences between these two
systems?
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do these labor systems support the theory
of the Black Legend?
Part 3 - What Do the Documents Say?
In this part of the activity, you will examine primary sources
from early Spanish colonial period.
Document #1: Journal of Christopher Columbus (1492)
“...Presently many inhabitants of the island assembled. What
follows is in the actual words of the Admiral in his book of the
first navigation and discovery of the Indies. "I," he says, " that
we might form great friendship, for I knew that they were a people
who could be more easily freed and converted to our holy faith by
love than by force, gave to some of them red caps, and glass beads
to put round their necks, and many other things of little value,
which gave them great pleasure, and made them so much our friends
that it was a marvel to see. They after-wards came to the ship's
boats where we were, swimming and bringing us parrots, cotton
threads in skeins, darts, and many other things ; and wc exchanged
them for other things that wc gave them, such as glass beads and
small bells. In fine, they took all, and gave what they had with
good will. It appeared to me to be a race of people very poor in
everything. They go as naked as when their mothers bore them, and
so do the women, although I did not see more than one young girl.
All I saw were youths, none more than thirty years of age. They are
very well made, with very handsome bodies, and very good
countenances. Their hair is short and coarse, almost like the hairs
of a horse's tail. 'They wear the hairs brought down to the
eyebrows, except a few locks behind, which they wear long and never
cut. They paint themselves black, and they arc the colour of the
Canarians, neither black nor white. Some paint themselves white,
others red, and others of what colour they find. Some paint their
faces, others the whole body, some only round the eyes, others only
on the nose. They neither carry nor know anything of arms, for I
showed them swords, and they took them by the blade and cut
themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their darts being
wands without iron, some of them having a fish's tooth at the end,
and others being pointed in various ways. They are all of fair
stature and si/e, with good laces, and well made. I saw some with
marks of wounds on their bodies, and I made signs to ask what it
was, and they gave me to understand that people from other adjacent
islands came with the intention of seizing them, and that they
defended themselves. I believed, and still believe, that they come
here from the mainland to take them prisoners. They should be good
servants and intelligent, for I observed that they quickly took in
what was said to them, and I believe that they would easily be made
Christians, as it appeared to me that they had no religion. 1, our
Lord being pleased, will take hence, at the time of my departure,
six natives for your Highnesses, that they may learn to speak. I
saw no beast of any kind except parrots, on this island." The above
is in the words of the Admiral....”
1. What was the purpose of Columbus’ voyage?
2. How does Columbus describe the Natives he encountered?
3. What does Columbus suggest should be the relationship between
the Natives and the Spanish?
4. Why does Columbus say the Natives will convert easily to
Christianity?
5. Does this document support the theory of the Black Legend?
Why or why not?
Document #2: - Sublimis Deus, Pope Paul III (Topic: the
enslavement and evangelization of Indians)
To all faithful Christians to whom this writing may come, health
in Christ our Lord and the apostolic benediction. The sublime God
so loved the human race that He created man in such wise that he
might participate, not only in the good that other creatures enjoy,
but endowed him with capacity to attain to the inaccessible and
invisible Supreme Good and behold it face to face; and since man,
according to the testimony of the sacred scriptures, has been
created to enjoy eternal life and happiness, which none may obtain
save through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary that
he should possess the nature and faculties enabling him to receive
that faith; and that whoever is thus endowed should be capable of
receiving that same faith. Nor is it credible that any one should
possess so little understanding as to desire the faith and yet be
destitute of the most necessary faculty to enable him to receive
it. Hence Christ, who is the Truth itself, that has never failed
and can never fail, said to the preachers of the faith whom He
chose for that office 'Go ye and teach all nations.' He said all,
without exception, for all are capable of receiving the doctrines
of the faith. The enemy of the human race, who opposes all good
deeds in order to bring men to destruction, beholding and envying
this, invented a means never before heard of, by which he might
hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation to the people: he
inspired his satellites who, to please him, have not hesitated to
publish abroad that the Indians of the West and the South, and
other people of whom We have recent knowledge should be treated as
dumb brutes created for our service, pretending that they are
incapable of receiving the Catholic Faith. We, who, though
unworthy, exercise on earth the power of our Lord and seek with all
our might to bring those sheep of His flock who are outside into
the fold committed to our charge, consider, however, that the
Indians are truly men and that they are not only capable of
understanding the Catholic Faith but, according to our information,
they desire exceedingly to receive it. Desiring to provide ample
remedy for these evils, We define and declare by these Our letters,
or by any translation thereof signed by any notary public and
sealed with the seal of any ecclesiastical dignitary, to which the
same credit shall be given as to the originals, that,
notwithstanding whatever may have been or may be said to the
contrary, the said Indians and all other people who may later be
discovered by Christians, are by no means to be deprived of their
liberty or the possession of their property, even though they be
outside the faith of Jesus Christ; and that they may and should,
freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession of
their property; nor should they be in any way enslaved; should the
contrary happen, it shall be null and have no effect. By virtue of
Our apostolic authority We define and declare by these present
letters, or by any translation thereof signed by any notary public
and sealed with the seal of any ecclesiastical dignitary, which
shall thus command the same obedience as the originals, that the
said Indians and other peoples should be converted to the faith of
Jesus Christ by preaching the word of God and by the example of
good and holy living.
1. What was the purpose of this document?
2. How was this document supposed to impact the relationship
between Spaniards and Natives?
3. Does this document support the theory of the Black Legend?
Why or why not?
Document #3 - Aztec Ambassadors Meet Hernan Cortes, from the
Lienzo de Tlaxcala (1550)
1. How are the Natives represented in this document?
2. How is Cortes portrayed in this document?
3. How are other Europeans portrayed in this document?
4. What does this document suggest about the relationship
between the Spaniards and Aztecs?
5. Does this document support the theory of the Black Legend?
Why or why not?
Document #4 - Image of Hernan Cortes Assisted by the Tlaxcalan
People of Mexico (1560)
1. What is this image depicting?
2. How is this image similar to the previous document?
3. How is this image different from the previous document?
4. Does this document support the theory of the Black Legend?
Why or why not?
Document #5: A reproduction of Theodori de Bry's illustration
for Las Casas 1598 book
1. How are Natives represented in this document?
2. How are Spaniards represented in this document?
3. Are all Natives in this document depicted the same way?
Explain.
4. Does this document support the theory of the Black Legend?
Why or why not?
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. How do you think the Black Legend impacted Spain’s
international reputation?
2. How might other nations benefit from the way in which the
Black Legend impacted Spain’s international reputation?
3. Do you think the Black Legend is completely accurate?
4. SYNTHESIS: Think of an event, action, or words from the past
that has colored other people’s opinion about the United States in
a negative way? Was there some truth to the reputation?
Explain.
