The Black Legend - The Role of the Spanish in Conquering America

The Spanish were actually the first known Europeans to enter America, although they are not as often mentioned in America's history as the English settlers. The Spanish contributed much to the New World from astounding missions to art and institutions. One Spanish explorer, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, while searching for gold, discovered the American West instead. The Spanish even introduced the concept of ranching for which the American West is so famous for.

Yet, in spite of Spain's many contributions, the nation receives little credit for its shaping of America. In fact, according to the Black Legend, Spain carries much of the burden for the mistreatment of the Native Americans and has been accused of only having had an interest in America for the wealth it had to offer. However, there are other perspectives that need to be taken into consideration before condemning the Spanish.

First, the Spanish were not the only group of people who were cruel to the Indians. Other Europeans brought diseases to America, such as smallpox and cholera, which the Native Americans were not immune to. Consequently, thousands of Indians died. Also, many other countries which sailed to the New World were not adverse to reaping some economic benefit. The French and the Dutch became involved in the fur trade while the English employed indentured servants in the southern mainland and the Caribbean to produce crops for sale in Europe.

Even though the Spanish are accused of Indian mistreatment, they were really the least racist of the nations. They even married into the Native Americans, though they kept the marriages confined to classes. They actually considered the moral questions of how to deal with the Indians, such as how far Europeans should press their customs and beliefs on the people.