A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies / Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

20321

Title

A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies / Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Bartolomé de las Casas, a Dominican bishop and eyewitness, exposes the horrific atrocities committed by Spanish colonizers against Indigenous peoples in the Americas over forty-two years. This 1689 translation details massacres, forced labor, sexual violence, and the systematic destruction of civilizations driven by insatiable greed for gold. A searing indictment of colonial tyranny, it appeals to Christian conscience to halt the extermination of innocent nations and demands justice for the victims of Spanish avarice.

Summary up to 500 words

Originally published in Spanish in 1552 and translated into English in 1689, Bartolomé de las Casas's *A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies* stands as a harrowing testimony to the genocide of Indigenous peoples in the West Indies and mainland America. Las Casas, a former friar elevated to the episcopacy, recounts his own observations and the testimonies of others regarding the brutal treatment of natives by Spanish conquistadors and settlers over forty years following the 1492 discovery. The text portrays the Indigenous inhabitants as peaceful, innocent, and capable of receiving the Christian faith, yet they were treated as beasts or mere sources of wealth. Las Casas details the slaughter of millions, the enslavement of survivors to work in mines and fields until death, and the sexual exploitation of women and children. Specific regions like Hispaniola, Cuba, New Spain, and Yucatán are described as having been depopulated, leaving once-fertile lands as desolate ruins. Las Casas recounts specific instances of cruelty: soldiers hacking natives to pieces, dragging them with dogs, forcing them to carry heavy burdens until collapse, and the sale of children and adults into slavery in exchange for basic goods like wine or salt pork. He describes the torture inflicted on Indigenous leaders to extract information about hidden gold and the burning of towns. Despite the Spanish claim of bringing civilization and Christianity, Las Casas argues that their primary motivation was avarice and ambition, leading to the destruction of entire kingdoms. The narrative also addresses the Spanish response to these crimes. Las Casas notes that Emperor Charles V convened a council in 1542 to address the abuses, resulting in new laws intended to reform the government and protect the natives. However, the text argues that these laws were often ignored or subverted by rebellious officials and corrupt clergy who continued the oppression. The author concludes with a plea for the expulsion of these "hellish acts" from the Indies and a hope that the Emperor will eventually root out these evils to save the souls of the victims and preserve the honor of the Spanish Crown. The work stands as a foundational text in the history of human rights and anti-colonial thought.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20321.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg20321.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-08-14 00:21 UTC

Categories

• History
• Politics