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Difficulty: HardCultural and Ideological Debates on Colonization

"Now if these people are rude, untaught, and wild... we must not wonder, for this is common to all nations at their beginning... We ourselves, in our ancestors, were much wilder and more difficult to tame... If they have some customs that seem strange, we must understand their reasons, for they have laws, marriages, cities, and governments of their own, and they worship their gods with great devotion. Thus they are not beasts, nor are they incapable of receiving the Christian faith, but rather are ready and willing."

— Bartolomé de las Casas, Apologetic History, c. 1550

Based on this excerpt, which of the following arguments did opponents of the Spanish encomienda system, such as Bartolomé de las Casas, use to challenge the ideological justifications of Spanish colonization?

  1. A
    They asserted that all Native American tribes belonged to a single, culturally and politically homogeneous group that shared identical religious beliefs and social customs.
  2. They argued that Native Americans possessed organized, rational societies with their own systems of governance, making violent subjugation and forced labor unjust.Answer
  3. C
    They argued that the encomienda system was a benign and voluntary land grant program that did not involve coerced labor or Spanish royal authority.
  4. D
    They claimed that Native Americans had already integrated Old World livestock and crops into their societies prior to 1492, demonstrating their civilizational equality.

Answer

The argument that Native Americans possessed organized, rational societies with their own systems of governance, making violent subjugation and forced labor unjust.
The correct answer is correct because Las Casas argued that indigenous peoples had structured societies, laws, and cities, which demonstrated their capacity for reason and self-governance, thereby undermining the Spanish claim that they were 'natural slaves' who required subjugation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus text.
The author argues that even if Native Americans seem wild, it is a normal developmental stage, and emphasizes they have structured cities, laws, marriages, governments, and religions.
To identify the author's primary defense of indigenous capabilities.
2
Relate the author's argument to the historical debate on colonization.
This defense directly counters arguments that indigenous peoples were 'natural slaves' lacking reason and social order.
To link the source to the core ideological debates of Period 1.
3
Evaluate the options to select the one matching the author's logic and historical reality.
The option stating that Native Americans possessed organized, rational societies is correct, while the others contain historical errors.
To determine the correct answer based on reading comprehension and historical analysis.

Key Concept

Cultural and Ideological Debates on Colonization
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Cultural and Ideological Debates on Colonization

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