History

2. Write a Secondary Response (SP)

Respond thoughtfully to a fellow student’s original post on the OPPOSITE document or question your did your OP on.  Simply writing “I agree” without any discussion will get you no points on this part. Please do not respond to a original post that has more than 2 secondary responses already. If you respond to the an OP that addresses the same document or question from you wrote your original post on you will only receive half credit at most.  About one robust paragraph.  (5 points)

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3. Write a Tertiary Response (TP)

This is a free post.  You can thoughtfully respond to one of the SPs on your own or any other OP or write a TP on any post in the forum. (5 points)

2. Bartolome de Las Casas documented the cruelties waged upon the Native Americans in the New World. Originally,  de Las Casas was a land seeking Spaniard and a slave owner. However, he grew to detest the encomienda system which justified the cruelties waged upon the Native Americans. Eventually, he earned the title “Protector of the Indians.” His writings, which sought to expose the violent enslavement of the natives by the conquistadors, were aimed at the Spanish Crown. His objective was to persuade the monarch of Spain to abolish slavery and to emancipate the natives. The greed-driven Spaniards overworked the enslaved Natives to death to satisfy their lust for gold. In de Las Casas documentation, Indians’ life was described as “totally deprived of freedom” and that they were treated as “perpetual slaves.” The most striking account of de Las Casas was how he compared the lives of the Indians to that of the animals: “even beasts enjoy more freedom when they are allowed to graze in the fields.” Indigenous people being looked down upon and treated as less-evolved humans is a disturbing but constant subject in history. Even Takaki in his book revealed how the English colonizers would equate Indians with the devil and the Irish as savages. These groups were not considered civilized because they did not identify with the Eurocentric definition of civilized- monotheistic religion, clothing, writing

3. I totally agree with you. I was also struck by the humbleness of the Powhatan Indians. I was surprised that Powhatan was looking for a peaceful solution with patience. English colonists destroyed peace. People want to give up something when they experience despair. But they were not. Seeking a peaceful solution is not an easy way. Moreover, they do those things during the colonial time. Can we do the same at that time? 

Extra Credit:

 National Geographics Reckons with its Past (NPR, 3-12-18)  (Links to an external site.)

National Geographics November Cover falls back on a Racist Cliche' (VOX, 1-1-18)  (Links to an external site.)

Please read NPRs discussion of the article that National Geographics posted in early 2018  as well as the later VOX article.  Then answer the questions I post in a robust paragraph. (I can't post the NG article because it's behind a paywall).  

1. What is the argument about how National Georgraphics covered "exotic" places and cultures in its past? What role did race play in their coverage?


2. In what ways does their reckoning connect to Ronald Takaki's argument in chapter two about how "civilization" and savagery" were depicted by the English colonists (and in Shakespeare!)?  Please give an example or two. 


3. Do you agree with the VOX article's argument?  Why or why not?