The Spanish were indeed the first Europeans known to enter America, although they are not so often mentioned in American history as the English settlers. The Spanish contributed much to the New World from amazing missions to art and institutions. One Spanish prospector, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, while looking for gold, found it in the American West. The Spaniards also had the idea of the villages for which the American West is so famous.
However, despite Spain’s many contributions, the nation takes little credit for forming America. In fact, according to the Black Legend, Spain bears much of the burden for insulting the Americans and has been accused of only being interested in America because of the wealth it has to offer. But there are other perspectives that must be considered before condemning the Spanish.
First, the Spanish were not the only group of people who were cruel to the Indians. Other Europeans brought diseases to the Americas, such as smallpox and cholera, that the Native Americans were immune to. Thousands of Indians died as a result. Many of the other nations that sailed to the New World were not adverse to any measure of economic benefit. The French and Dutch were involved in the fur trade while the English in the southern continent and the Caribbean used indentured servants to produce crops for sale in Europe. Even marriage in North America, although marriages were kept in class. Indeed, they discussed moral issues about the Indians, such as the European customs and beliefs that were being forced upon the people.
Besides, not all Spaniards condoned the treatment of the people. Focus Many priests, most notably Father Bartholomew de las Casas, lashed out at the savagery of the Indians and protested against it. Las Casas was a slave himself and after reading a certain scripture in the Bible, he freed all his slaves and called the exploitation of the Indians unjust. He even came to Spain to challenge King Charles I.
Most of the monarchs cared nothing for one cleric, but for the ruler of Spain. However, the Indian Indignity Laws were still being instituted. The prince even went so far as to disallow further invasion of America until a convention on the ethics of such was held.
These many amendments did not stop the flow of Black Legends, though. It still continues to be spread by anti-Hispanics and anti-Catholics. The allegations of Las Casas were published in Spain and were often used as a defense against the nation, most notably during the Protestant Reformation. It has also been mentioned for many years in political debates in Europe and America. It is even more likely that the legend will expire from the many writers who have told it in their writings. . Certainly, the many contributions that Spain made towards America would receive greater recognition. Much of the culture that defines America, especially in the West, comes from the Spanish. Perhaps the image of the Spanish colonists from the Black Legend would not have been so shocking, but many of Spain’s arts would have been more prominent in the new territory.
