The Spanish Requirement (1510)Source: National Humanities Center Toolbox Library, Primary Sources in ...

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The Spanish Requirement (1510)Source: National Humanities Center Toolbox Library, Primary Sources in U.S. History and Literature, nationalhumanitiescenter.orgINTRODUCTIONDuring the first years after Columbus and his crew landed in the Western Hemisphere, Spaniards functioned with little oversight of their activities and interactions with the indigenous populations. In the early sixteenth century, some Catholic clergy denounced the actions of Spaniards in the Americas as contrary to Catholic teaching and called on the monarchy to act. This condemnation, coupled with crown concerns about their material interests in the Americas, led the Council of Castile, the chief administrative and judicial body of the Spanish realms, to issue orders that an ultimatum should be recited any time Spaniards encountered a new population of indigenous peoples in the Americas. This speech, called the Requerimiento is reproduced here. It was probably first delivered in the Americas in 1514 and most likely read in either Latin or Spanish. Next, write 1-2 paragraphs summarizing the content of the document. 3. Then, think about the time period when the document was written. Focus on our in-class discussions and the information found in the textbook. Write 1-2 paragraphs explaining the historical context. 4. Finally, ask yourself why this document is important. What did it mean to the person who wrote it? What might it have meant to the people who read it? Why do we still consider this document to be significant today? Write 1-2 paragraphs explaining your thoughts