In the late 1400s to 1500s, Europeans, such as Spanish, French, and English, were motivated to explore the New World, which they had never been to before, to spread Christianity for the expansion of their religious power and to win the economic competition. At that time, two explorers, Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de las Casas, sought the New World to spread Catholicism and to find gold for trading slaves that can perform free labor in Spain. Columbus and Las Casas are well-known in the history of Indians.
Both Columbus and Las Casas might initially have similar views on Indians when they discovered the new land and met Native Americans. As written in Columbus’s letter on their first voyage, Indians “show as much lovingness as though they would give their heart.” Las Casas also wrote in Apologetic History of the Indies that “they are most humble peoples and obey their kings in a strange and admirable manner” and “the most humble, most patient, most peaceful and calm, without strife nor tumults; not wrangling, nor querulous, as free from uproar, hate and desire of revenge as any in …show more content…
In his letter, he explained how Spaniards treated Indians using diverse ways of cruel treatment, such as cutting off hands, burning bodies, opening up bowels, and more. Entirely, Las Casas concentrated on God of Christianity and religions whom they believed and tried to spread to the New World. From the Catholic view, Las Casas described Indians in Apologetic History of the Indies as follows: “All these peoples are barbarians in the broad sense, according to some quality; and the primary one is that they are unbelievers. This is only through their lack of our holy faith, which means a purely negative faithlessness, caused by mere ignorance, and is not a sin, as has been declared.” Based on his description, he wanted Indians to believe in