Native American Articles

Bartolome de Las Casas

Dominican friar and became bishop of Guatemala

Bartolome de Las Casas

protector of Indians"
-worked to reform Spanish colonial policies to make it better for Natives

Bartolome: Stance on Natives

Natives are our brothers
-were civilized (had states, laws, religion, customs, trade networks, etc)
-acknowledges arrival of Spanish messed up Indian systems already in place

Bartolome: Stance on Sepulveda

-hypocritical and has little remorse
-disregards Native Americans and disrespects their culture

Juan Gines de Sepulveda

famed philosopher, theologian, historian, astronomer

Juan Gines de Sepulveda

Renaissance man"
-heavily relied on classical distinction between 'civilized' Greeks and 'barbarians'

Sepulveda: Stance on Natives

Natives are barbarians
-Spanish have right to rule regardless of age
-notes Aztec as most advanced native tribe but still considered barbarians because of slavery

Concubines and Cloth: Main Focus

relationship between marriage patterns and wealth in textiles before and after Aztec society after Spanish colonization

Concubines and Cloth: Aztecs

-polygyny

Concubines and Cloth: Aztecs

-more women => more textiles => money made

Concubines and Cloth: Aztecs

-cloth and women considered gifts

Concubines and Cloth: Aztecs

-egalitarian: equal rights for men and women; complimentary roles

Concubines and Cloth: Aztecs

-textiles as means of currency/trade

Concubines and Cloth: Spanish

-monogyny

Concubines and Cloth: Spanish

-1 women => 1 textile at a time => less money

Concubines and Cloth: Spanish

-Spanish marry Native women to secure native land

Concubines and Cloth: Spanish

-arrival introduced Old World diseases which decreased native population

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Women: needed for land instead of cloth

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Marriage: monogyny instead of polygyny

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Religion: Christianity instead of native gods
-Christianity required or torture to death
-through clergy influencing with nobleman
-through blending native concepts with Christianity (ex: Saint Anne)

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Gender Roles: patriarchy instead of egalitarian
-men dominated textiles industry
-women stay at home
-women have little to no rights compared to men

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Property Inheritance: property passed on to only male offspring instead of all offspring

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Textiles: sheep and treadle loom instead of spindle whorl
-male dominated

Concubines and Cloth: Changes of Aztec Society Because of Spanish

Agriculture/Money: mills and sheel farms as ways to make money