Biography of Bartolomé de Las Casas, Spanish Colonist

Biography of Bartolomà © de Las Casas, Spanish Colonist Bartolomà © de Las Casas (c. 1484–July 18, 1566) was a Spanish Dominican friar who became famous for his defense of the rights of the native people of the Americas. His brave stand against the horrors of the conquest and the colonization of the New World earned him the title â€Å"Defender of the Native Americans. Las Casas efforts led to legal reforms and early debates about the idea of human rights. Fast Facts: Bartolomà © de Las Casas Known For: Las Casas was a Spanish colonist and friar who advocated for better treatment of Native Americans.Born: c. 1484 in Seville, SpainDied: July 18, 1566 in Madrid, SpainPublished Works: A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Apologetic History of the Indies, History of the Indies Early Life Bartolomà © de Las Casas was born about 1484 in Seville, Spain. His father was a merchant and was acquainted with the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Young Bartolomà ©, then about 9 years old, was in Seville when Columbus returned from his first voyage in 1493; he might have met members of the Taà ­no tribe that Columbus brought back with him from the Americas. Bartolomà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s father and uncle sailed with Columbus on his second voyage. The family became quite wealthy and had holdings on Hispaniola, an island in the Caribbean. The connection between the two families was strong: Bartolomà ©s father eventually interceded with the pope on the matter of securing certain rights on behalf of Columbus’s son Diego, and Bartolomà © de Las Casas himself edited Columbus’s travel journals. Las Casas eventually decided that he wanted to become a priest, and his father’s new wealth allowed him to attend the best schools of the era: the University of Salamanca and the University of Valladolid. Las Casas studied canon law  and eventually earned two degrees. He excelled in his studies, particularly Latin, and his strong academic background served him well in the years to come. First Trip to the Americas In 1502, Las Casas finally went to see the family holdings on Hispaniola. By then, the natives of the island had been mostly subdued, and the city of Santo Domingo was being used as a resupply point for Spanish incursions in the Caribbean. The young man accompanied the governor on two different military missions aimed at pacifying those natives who remained on the island. On one of these trips, Las Casas witnessed a massacre of poorly armed natives, a scene he would never forget. He traveled around the island a great deal and was able to see the deplorable conditions in which the natives lived. The Colonial Enterprise and Mortal Sin Over the next few years, Las Casas traveled to Spain and back several times, finishing his studies and learning more about the sad situation of the natives. By 1514, he decided that he could no longer be personally involved in the exploitation of the natives and renounced his family holdings on Hispaniola. He became convinced that the enslavement and slaughter of the native population was not only a crime but also a mortal sin as defined by the Catholic Church. It was this iron-clad conviction that would eventually make him such a staunch advocate for fair treatment of the natives. First Experiments Las Casas convinced Spanish authorities to allow him to try to save the few remaining Caribbean natives by taking them out of slavery and placing them in free towns, but the death of Spains King Ferdinand in 1516 and the resulting chaos over his successor caused these reforms to be delayed. Las Casas also asked for and received a section of the Venezuelan mainland for an experiment. He believed he could pacify the natives with religion rather than weapons. Unfortunately, the region that was selected had been heavily raided by slave traders, and the natives’ hostility to the Europeans was too intense to overcome. The Verapaz Experiment In 1537, Las Casas wanted to try again to demonstrate that natives could be controlled peacefully and that violence and conquest were unnecessary. He was able to persuade the crown to allow him to send missionaries to a region in north-central Guatemala where the natives had proved particularly fierce. His experiment worked, and the natives were peacefully brought under Spanish control. The experiment was called Verapaz, or â€Å"true peace,† and the region still bears the name. Unfortunately, once the region was brought under control, colonists took the lands and enslaved the natives, undoing almost all of Las Casas’ work. Death Later in life, Las Casas became a prolific writer, traveled frequently between the New World and Spain, and made allies and enemies in all corners of the Spanish Empire. His History of the Indies- a frank account of Spanish colonialism and the subjugation of the natives- was completed in 1561. Las Casas spent his final years living at the College of San Gregorio in Valladolid, Spain. He died on July 18, 1566. Legacy Las Casas’ early years were marked by his struggle to come to terms with the horrors he had seen and his understanding of how God could allow this kind of suffering among the Native Americans. Many of his contemporaries believed that God had delivered the New World to Spain as a reward of sorts to encourage the Spanish to continue to wage war upon heresy and idolatry as defined by the Roman Catholic Church. Las Casas agreed that God had led Spain to the New World, but he saw a different reason for it: He believed it was a test. God was testing the loyal Catholic nation of Spain to see if it could be just and merciful, and in Las Casas’ opinion, the country failed God’s test miserably. It is well known that Las Casas fought for justice and freedom for the New World natives, but it is frequently overlooked that his love for his countrymen was just as powerful. When he freed the natives working on the Las Casas family holdings in Hispaniola, he did it as much for the sake of his soul and those of his family members as he did for the natives themselves. Though widely disparaged in the years after his death for his critiques of colonialism, Las Casas is now seen as a significant early reformer whose work helped pave the way for the liberation theology movement of the 20th century. Sources Casas, Bartolomà © de las, and Francis Sullivan. Indian Freedom: the Cause of Bartolomà © De Las Casas, 1484-1566: A Reader. Sheed Ward, 1995.Casas, Bartolomà © de las. A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Penguin Classics, 2004.Nabokov, Peter. â€Å"Indians, Slaves, and Mass Murder: The  Hidden History.† The New York Review of Books, 24 Nov. 2016.

Obama and Romneys plans for higher education

Obama and Romneys plans for higher education Summary on President Obama and Romneys plans for higher education President Obama has proposed to spend more on higher education within the next 4 years. He focuses to increase the spending by 2.5% above the current budget. This raises the prospected education spending by 69.8 million dollars. This is a great offer according to the current economic status of the United States.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Obama and Romneys plans for higher education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Obama’s focus is based on establishing new financial incentives that would help in supporting higher education institutions. In addition, he is also asking for billions of dollars to support some of colleges and universities facing financial instability. As a democrat, he would like to boost both the private and public sectors of economy to enhance financial provisions for higher education. On the other hand, Romney plans to redu ce higher education spending rate by applying various policies within the learning institutions. Some of these policies are based on the financial expenditure of the learning institutions. According to Romney, limiting the federal dollar cost will minimize the budgetary costs of various institutions. Romney’s plans are based on limiting public expenditures while boosting the private sector. He also suggests that the banking policy should be changed so as to allow room for student lending. This can help in boosting institutions of higher learning. Personal Opinion on the matter Education is a critical provision for the growth of any country. The two aspirants have considerable plans for higher education systems in the United States despite their political differences. Obama has stronger plans compared to those of Romney. Romney plans to reduce the cost of a dollar in the federal government while boosting the private sectors of the government. This can be detrimental to the hig her educational sector. This can negatively affect the economic status of the United States. On the other hand, Obama plans to balance costs both from the private and public sectors of the government. This will enhance financial stability for higher education advancements. One of the Romney’s plans seems to favor the higher education sector in the U.S. For instance, students will be offered bank loans to sort out their educational problems. This will create conducive environment for learning since all the learning materials will be availed to students.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Concurrently, Obama’s plans for the next four years will really boost institutions of higher education. Fundamentally, they will not only enjoy the increase in spending but also low cost of learning materials and activities. This is a considerable provision when scrutinized critic ally in the realms of education. It is important to spend wisely in the education sector. This can be enhanced by setting priorities right. Research in any learning institution needs a lot of capital and once this is subsidized within the next four years, the quality of education will have been enhanced leading to production of skilled individuals in the society. Such people can perform their task to perfection. Obama is also determined in ensuring that job opportunities are created to intelligent students after completing their higher education. This will help in curbing/reducing the crime rate in the United States. According to him, crimes are committed by idlers who are frustrated in life after completing their studies and cannot find jobs. Actually, this is the only way of making a living. The plans presented by President Obama are viable since they will advance higher education institutions within the next four years.

Early Byzantine and Christian Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early Byzantine and Christian Art - Essay Example One painting that gives a certain interpretation to a piece of literature is called Dido Makes a Sacrifice and was painted to go along with Virgil’s Aeneid. This painting goes away from the passionate language that is used in the Virgil text and instead focuses on the importance of imperial sacrifice. This is because as the times change, so did the values of the people and therefore, the painters wished to accomplish something much different than Virgil. The painting itself features the emperor personified as a military leader and a powerful human being. One reason for this is that the emperor was viewed as the head of the Church as well, making him an important religious figure. There is also very little detail in the background of this painting, which gives the viewer the impression that nothing but the emperor matters. Virgil wished for this section of the text to show the passion that Dido had in her life, although this could be because Dido was depicted in a variety of di fferent manner, like â€Å"an enchantress, like Calypso; a temptress, like Eve; a seducer, like Cleopatra, or a mere adventuress in wait for a marriageable and warlike widower highly desirable for a defenceless female in the midst of barbarous neighbors† (Pease, 1927, P. 246). It was meant to show fire and emotion, but this painting takes this emotion out of the section and, therefore, it could possibly change the reading that someone would take of the actual text. This painting instead focuses on the positive traits of the emperor.