AP Success - AP US History: Native American Labor Perspectives
"Bartolome de las Casas on Native Labor." Gilder Lehrman, 1550."When they [Native Americans workers] were allowed to go home, they often found it deserted and no other recourse than to go out into the woods to find food and to die. When they fell ill, which was very frequently because they are a delicate people unaccustomed to such work, the Spaniards did not believe them and pitilessly called them lazy dogs, and kicked and beat them; and when illness was apparent they sent them home as useless, giving them some cassava for the twenty-to eighty-league journey. They would go then, failing into the first stream and dying there in desperation; others would hold on longer, but very few ever made it home. I sometimes came upon dead bodies on my way, and upon others who were gasping and moaning in their death agony, repeating "Hungry, hungry.”"
Question 1
Based on the source, Bartolome de las Casas's account can be seen as an example of which of the following?
A defense of the Spanish mission system and its efforts to Christianize Native Americans
A neutral observation of the daily life of Native Americans under Spanish rule
A critique of the Spanish encomienda system and its treatment of Native Americans
An endorsement of the Spanish colonial policies for their efficient use of indigenous labor
Question 2
The source describes the Native Americans as 'a delicate people unaccustomed to such work.' What does this suggest about Bartolome de las Casas's view of indigenous peoples?
He thought that Native Americans were physically stronger and more resilient than Europeans
He considered Native Americans to be inherently lazy and unproductive
He believed that the Native Americans were being subjected to labor that was unsuitable for them
He felt that Native Americans were well adapted to the demands of Spanish colonial labor
Question 3
The phrase 'they sent them home as useless, giving them some cassava for the twenty-to eighty-league journey' implies that the Spanish colonizers:
Provided minimal assistance to ill Native American workers, reflecting a lack of concern for their well-being
Prioritized the health of Native American workers over the efficiency of their labor system
Ensured that Native American workers were well cared for and supported during times of illness
Offered substantial food supplies to Native American workers to guarantee their survival on the journey home
Question 4
The account of Bartolome de las Casas is most useful to historians as:
A primary source that provides insight into the attitudes and treatment of Native Americans by Spanish colonizers
A secondary source that summarizes the overall conditions of indigenous peoples across all European colonies
An official Spanish government document outlining the legal framework of Native American labor
A factual and unbiased report on the economic benefits of the encomienda system
Question 5
The experiences of Native American workers as described by Bartolome de las Casas most directly contributed to which of the following historical developments?
The unchallenged acceptance of the encomienda system by all Spanish colonists and officials
The immediate abolition of all forms of coerced labor in Spanish colonies
The rapid expansion of the encomienda system due to its perceived success
The eventual decline of the encomienda system and debates over the morality of forced labor
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