Chapter 5 The Mainland Summary and Analysis

In 1514 governor Pedro Arias de Avila arrived in the mainland which is the land now known as southern Central America and northern South America. De Las Casas states that Avila was the cruelest of tyrants and was completely devoid of any emotion, mercy, or common sense. He wanted to settle the entire area with Spaniards and thus had to get rid of all the natives. Francisco de San Roman, a Franciscan friar, witnessed this governor and his men take out over forty thousand natives.

The main Spanish policy towards the New World was to convert and save the natives' souls. The local people were presented with an ultimatum to either adopt Christianity and swear allegiance to the Spanish crown of Castile or face military action. However, the natives didn't always know about this policy. What the governor...