WARNING: CONTAINS VERY GRAPHIC MATERIAL!
Spanish Atrocities in the West Indies, c. 1513-20
A classroom play by Team HOPE
Cast List
Father Bartolome de Las Casas (BARO)……………….………Jesuit Missionary
Father Antonio de Montesinos (MONT)…………….………….Jesuit Missionary
Friar Francisco de Vitoria (VITO)…..……………………….….Dominican Friar
Chief Royal Minister of American Affairs (CHIEF)…………....Spanish Minister of American Affairs
Assistant Royal Officer 1 (RO1)………………………..………Assistant Spanish Minister of American Affairs
Assistant Royal Officer 2 (RO2) ……………………..….……Assistant Spanish Minister of American Affairs
NOTE: All responses by historical figures reflect actual events and beliefs as closely as possible.
TEACHER NOTES
SETTING: A contemporary classroom. It is advised to place six desks in the front of the room in a semi-circle facing the rest of
the class, or have three desks facing the class (for the historical figures) and three facing the historical figures for the panel. You
may choose a podium for the chief student correspondent. A name plate in front of each cast member is highly recommended. A
5x8 index card folded in half works great for this purpose.
COSTUMES: Although not necessary, any period costumes for the historical figures are a great addition. Even a simple hat or wig
is excellent.
MASKS: Masks are an easy addition that will add to the drama and make the entire event more fun for the students. First, go to
www.google.com and click on “image search.” Type in the historical figure’s name and find an image of the person. Copy and
paste the picture in a Word document. You may need to crop and then enlarge the photo so you get a picture large enough to be
used as a mask. Portraits obviously work best for this use. Print out the picture and paste it onto a cardboard backing. You can tape
a plastic spoon or popsicle stick to be used as a handle. You may decide to make masks for the student correspondents as well,
using pictures of television news personalities for the masks.
Note: If there you cannot find a picture for an historical person, don’t despair! Almost any random “period” person’s picture (as
long as it not someone easily recognizable) would work as a mask. For example, for this play do a Google image search on Jesuit
priests.
ROLES: Encourage students to act out the roles with as much energy as possible. Do not be too terribly concerned that the sex of
the historical figure matches the sex of the student.
The teacher may decide to take a part in the play, role-modeling one of the historical figures. It is recommended that six copies of
the scripts are specifically set aside for each character in the play. For each character, highlight all their lines in order to facilitate a
faster pace of dialogue. All other students should receive an unmarked copy of the play to read as the play is performed.
DISCUSSION: Use the corresponding worksheets to facilitate discussion before and after the play. Students who are not directly
involved in the play can attempt to write preliminary answers as the play is performed. The audience should be told that they will
be the primarily responsible for the discussion questions at the end of the lesson.
WARNING: CONTAINS VERY GRAPHIC MATERIAL!
(The following, although extremely graphic, reflects the eyewitness account of Father Bartolome de Las Casas)
Spanish Atrocities in the West Indies, c. 1513-20
CAST ABBREVIATIONS
Father Bartolome de Las Casas ……………………………....
Father Antonio de Montesinos ……………………………….
Friar Francisco de Vitoria ……………………………………
Chief Royal Minister of American Affairs ………………….
Assistant Royal Officer 1 ……………………………………
Assistant Royal Officer 2 ……………………………………
BARO
MONT
VITO
CHIEF
RO1
RO2
CHIEF
Order, order, the “Royal Court Hearing on Spanish Atrocities in the New World” will now
begin. Our witness, Jesuit Missionary Bartolome de Las Casas is joined by Father Antonio de
Montesinos and Dominican friar Francisco de Vitoria to give testimony in regard to the
treatment and nature of the New World natives. Let the questioning begin.
RO1
Mr. Las Casas, would you please describe for us what you witnessed during the conquest of
Cuba?
BARO
I witnessed barbarism. The Spaniards entered towns and villages riding their horses, and
using their spears and lances, began to commit murders, and many strange cruelties. They
spared neither children or old men, or even women who were pregnant; rather they ripped
their bellies open and cut them to pieces as if they were lambs to be slaughtered and later
eaten.
MONT
This is true.
RO2
You witnessed this as well, Father Montesinos?
MONT
Oh, yes, it was awful! Some conquistadors even laid wages as to which man could with one
thrust of a sword disembowel a man, or most readily cut off his head, or could with one stroke
pierce his entrails.
CHIEF
Father La Casas, in your written report, you say the Spaniards committed these atrocities even
against children?
BART
Yes. They took the little ones by the heels, ripping them from their mothers clutches, and then
crushed their heads against the rock cliffs. Other, very young children, were cast in the
rivers—the conquistadors were laughing and mocking as the poor children tumbled into the
water.
RO2
Father Monesinos, we heard rumors of cruel torture before some Indians were murdered. Did
you see anything to confirm this?
MONT
Unfortunately, yes. They cut off the hands of some Indians and then let them hang until they
bled to death. The soldiers murdered the tribal leaders in the following fashion: They created
grates made out of pitchforks, and forced the chiefs to lie on them. They then made a little fire
underneath, with the intent, that by little by little the yelling and despairing in this torment
would eventually cause death.
BART
I saw similar torture and death as well. One time I saw four or five of the Indian chiefs
roasted and broiled upon these pitch fork gridirons. The poor men cried out pathetically,
which troubled the Spanish Captain to such an extent that he ordered that they be strangled.
The Sergeant refused to strangle them, but put bullets in their mouths—and then let them
softly roast for hours.
RO1
Did the Indians often attack our soldiers upon meeting them? I mean, were our soldiers
provoked into fighting or did they react in this horrible way without provocation?
MONT
Well, let me give you one example. One time the Indians came to meet us and they received
us with gifts, friendliness, and with enough entertainment for a great city. The Indians also
brought with them great quantities of fish, bread, and all sorts of meat, and did all they could
to make us comfortable. In other words, the Indians were treating us great. I’ll let Barolome
tell the rest, it’s just too disturbing for me to tell….
BART
It is so very disturbing; it was as if the devil put himself into the Spaniards, because they put
all the Indians to the sword right in front of us. They had no cause whatsoever to do this!
More than three thousand souls were murdered: men, women, and even children! I saw there
such horrid cruelties, that no other man living shall ever see the likes of.
RO2
We saw in your reports that many Indians were used as slaves in silver mines. Could you
describe their treatment for us?
MONT
I know of one Spanish officer who took 300 Indians as slaves and forced them to work in the
silver mines. At the end of three months, 270 were dead.
BART
And the soldiers kept getting him more and more Indian slaves, but the more he got, the more
that died. The Indians kept dying in his mines until the officer himself died; carried off no
doubt by the devil.
MONT
I personally witnessed more than six thousand children killed; they were plucked from their
fathers and mothers and sent to the mines.
CHIEF
Did either of you protest what you saw while in Cuba?
MONT
I stood before one village on the island Hispaniola and addressed the people and told them I
felt they were in sin because of the cruelty and tyranny that they use against these innocent
people.
CHIEF
How did the villagers respond?
MONT
They felt that the natives were not really “human.” I responded: “Are these Indians not men?
Do they not have rational souls? Are you not obliged to love them as you love yourselves?
Tell me, by what right or authority do you wage such detestable wars on these people who
lived mildly and peacefully in their own lands?”
RO1
Friar Vitoria, you have written similar views about these natives, have you not?
VITO
Yes! The Indians are by their nature fully human! Every Indian is a man and capable of
attaining salvation or damnation. The Indians cannot be deprived of their goods or power
because of their backwardness.
RO2
But some of these natives practice human sacrifice or cannibalism! Doesn’t this practice
deprive them of other human rights?
BART
But the natives have been deprived the Scriptures! How can we hold them fully morally
responsible for the horrors of cannibalism and human sacrifice?
VITO
It is obvious that the Indians are men and therefore have a right to truth and education. They
have a right to their own life and not to be treated as slaves!
RO1
These are radical ideas Father. Do you also contend that Indians should not be forced to be
baptized and to be converted against their will!
VITO
Of course not! If they are men, then has not God given them free will? How can they be
forced against their will to be converted and baptized? They must first be exposed to
Scriptures and taught the truth before being held responsible for backwardness!
CHIEF
Father Montesinos, you feel it is sin that is committed in the New World?
MONT
Without question. Spaniards are in mortal sin because of their treatment of the Indians.
CHIEF
You all have given us much to think about. We appreciate your witness and beliefs regarding
these issues.
SOURCE: Eyewitness account of Jesuit Missionary Bartolome de Las Casas
Bennett, William J., America: The Last Best Hope, Nelson Current, Nashville: 2006. p 10-11