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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Historia de las Indias [manuscript]: libro segundo |
| Author | Casas, Bartolomé de las (1474-1566) |
| Date | View date in the chronology |
| Document Type | Manuscript; Travel Journal |
| Description | From the Newberry Library Catalogue: A copy, in secretarial hand, of the second of the three books comprising Las Casas’ monumental chronicle of the discovery, exploration, and colonization of America, describing events which took place between 1501 and 1510. Las Casas begins with the settlement of the island of Hispaniola, under the governor Bobadilla, and later, under fray Nicolás de Ovando, comendador de Lares, and discusses the conquest of other islands as well, such as Cuba and Puerto Rico. He documents the Spaniards’ vicious treatment and cruel massacres of the Indians, and attacks the system of repartimiento which forced the Indians to work as slaves in the mines and plantations. He also describes how the Spaniards, when faced with a dwindling Indian population on Hispaniola, brought in additional slaves from the Lucayo Islands. A substantial part of the second book deals with Christopher Columbus, and includes an account of his fourth voyage, as well as material on his mistreatment at the hands of officials in the Indies; his repeated requests to the Spanish Crown for compensation for his services; and finally, his death in 1506. The ms. contains a preface, dated November 1559 and signed by Las Casas, in which he requests that the rector of the Colegio de San Gregorio not allow the Historia to be read for 40 years, after which time it should be published for the good of the Indians and of Spain. |
| Names | Columbus, Christopher; Ovando, Nicolás de (c.1451-1511); Bobadilla, Francisco de (d.1502) |
| Places | United States; Cuba; Puerto Rico; Hispaniola; Dominican Republic; Haiti; Bahamas; Colegio de San Gregorio, Spain |
| Keywords | personal account, expedition, discovery, travel, travelogue, history, colonialism, Spain, settlement, conquistadors, massacre, attack, battle, observation, slavery, mining, expenses, payment, Christopher Columbus, death |
| Theme | Observation, Representation and Cultural Encounters |
| Culture Area | Caribbean |
| Language | Spanish |
| Library | The Newberry Library |
| Copyright | The Newberry Library |
| Collection | The Edward E. Ayer Collection |
| Reference | VAULT Ayer MS 1057 |
| Catalogue Link | The Newberry Library Catalogue |