Bartolomé de Las Casas was a Dominican priest who was one of the first Spanish settlers in the New World. After participating in the conquest of Cuba, Las Casas freed his own slaves and spoke out against Spanish cruelties and injustices in the empire. He argued for the equal humanity and natural rights of the Native Americans. Las Casas worked for the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity and for their better treatment. Pope Paul III agreed and issued an edict in 1537 banning the enslavement of Native Americans. The Spanish crown also agreed and banned in the 1542 New Laws the enslavement of Native American. In 1550, the crown abolished the encomienda system, which had allowed the Spanish to seize Native Americans’ lands and force their labor. In 1552, Las Casas published a shocking account of Spanish cruelties, A Very Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies. He blamed the depopulation of the Native American populations on Spanish brutality rather than on the spread of disease. This gave rise to the Black Legend, a legend that Protestant nations such as England and the Netherlands used as propaganda to denounce the imperial system of Catholic Spain and promote their own means of settlement, which they viewed as more peaceful and benevolent.

QUESTIONS
Who was Bartolomé de Las Casas?

Is Las Casas a reliable source for this topic? Explain.

After reading the title, what do you think was the goal of his document?

For this unit assessment you will create a “mind map” to demonstrate your understanding of the material. what is a mind map? mind maps present information visually through the use of text and images. they have the following common elements: the central image and subject/title is located in the center of the map. use a pictogram or visual representation of the central topic along with the wording. detailed themes, ideas or concepts radiate out from the central idea. ideas clearly connect to central image and ideas consistently and accurately shift from broad scope to specific details. visuals and color clarify the information presented. words identify main ideas or concepts. be concise with the choice of words for your map. write single words or simple phrases. a mind map is clear and easy to follow. your mind map will answer the question: how have elements included in persia, decolonization and the cold war affected the development of the democratic republic of the congo and why does it matter today? your mind map will have four main branches from the central image/title. these branches include three of the persia categories, plus decolonization/cold war. choose three from the list below • politics • society • economy • intellectual - includes science, innovation, art • religion • area = geography and add decolonization/cold war requirements: at least 3 sub-branches (ideas) from each category; include as many sub-sub branches or paths as possible. the paths themselves can be designed in any manner, be creative and have fun, but remember to make your paths clear. include small illustrations – each main branch should have at least three small visuals/symbols/illustrations. prefer hand-drawn but could be a copied image use colored pencils for illustrations and if time, outline wording in fine black pen your mind map should fill the whole page. orient your paper using a landscape format. lastly - why does it matter? include a response to this part of the course essential question. it’s all about the content and showing me what you’ve learned. the more detailed information you can include, the better.