The Spanish Black Legend has shaped a particular way of telling history and the perception of a skewed past. Attributes such as intolerant, depraved, cruel, inquisitorial, bloodthirsty, cowardly... have defined the figure of the Hispanic, persisting in collective imagination. The History of Modern Spain told by foreign historiography and certain sectors of Spanish society has influenced the study of the Hispanic past, conditioned by political, cultural, religious, and ideological interests.
In a previous article, aspects such as what is the Black Legend? Why did it arise? Following the thread of the previous article (Rodas Romero, 2023) where we discussed the concept of the Black Legend, its origin and development in Europe, on this occasion we will focus on the legend developed in American territories, as well as what is known as the Spanish White Legend.
American Question
Mestizo and mulatto Hispanic America and white North America have always been one of the starting points for analyzing how Spanish rule was on the other side of the Atlantic, in contrast to the authority of other European powers. The main difference is the percentage of indigenous people that remains, persisting until today (Figure 1) (Mira, 2016: 96-97). On numerous occasions, Spaniards are qualified as bad Christians due to this intermarriage (Molina, 1997: 11).
The objective of the Spaniards was not to eliminate indigenous populations, as evidenced by the missionary enterprise that used native languages (this is because it was more practical to learn and evangelize in their languages than to transmit Catholicism in Latin to these populations), university policy (from early on educational centers were implemented in cities like Santo Domingo in 1538), the arrival of printing presses to Mexico in 1535, the development of painting schools (such as the Cuzco School), the emergence of literary manifestations (with artists such as Diego de Ocaña and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz) and the creation of hospitals (like the Hospital of San Juan de Dios in Quito). All this is a consequence of treating these territories as viceroyalties rather than colonies (Navascués, 2019).
However, it is undeniable to deny the harsh treatment given to indigenous people, such as in Peru with mita labor and in the Caribbean region with the use of African labor, which led to the extinction of a large number of natives due to abuses and mistreatment received from Spaniards and the Church (with more business-oriented goals than pastoral-religious) (Navascués, 2019).
Bartolomé de Las Casas
We must make a special mention to understand the direct treatment of indigenous people to Bartolomé de Las Casas' A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies. The author makes a harsh denunciation of the atrocities committed by Spaniards against natives in the name of Catholic Faith and Spanish Monarchy. His work is debated regarding its objectivity and subjectivity. Objectivity can be found when he describes the severity and demands of labor, mistreatment, and demographic decline due to atrocities. On the other hand, subjectivity is palpable in errors of numbers, the antithesis between Spaniards and natives ("gentle lambs at the mercy of cruel and ruthless heretics") and the generalization of Spaniards versus individualization of Indians (Molina, 1991 and 1997).
Despite this, one must be cautious in accusing Las Casas' role in spreading the Black Legend. His work should not be understood as a weapon against the Crown but rather as a denunciation presented to Charles I. As a result of the debate that followed, the Monarch promulgated the New Laws in 1543. This document shows the legal and moral questioning that legitimized the conquest.
However, his writing was taken by other European powers as absolute truth, using it as a weapon in their dispute for territories of the New World. With this, they justified that Spaniards were incapable of administering such territories due to their violent nature, cruelty and greed; considering them a posteriori as genocide towards indigenous people. Numerous editions came out (accompanied by Theodore De Bry's engravings, Image 2) that spread across the continent. It was quite "striking" that one of his own, a Spaniard, criticized the enterprise of Spanish Monarchy (Molina, 1997).
The Spanish White Legend
«That everything bad that can be said about our history is a lie, the fruit of the Black Legend, and in reality we were very good, the best» (Mira, 2016).
Under the guise of «y tu más» and classical literature that has praised the character of Spaniards (who did not disdain Indian women, made them mothers and this crucible gave birth to a single blood, a single skin, one unique spirit and culture), it provoked the appearance of a new way of seeing Spanish history, especially in the 20th century. During Franco's regime, the Black Legend was opportunistically presented as a resource to eliminate foreign public opinion and argue from a "Hispanophobic" prejudice the rejection or incomprehension from outside (Straehle, 2020). In the preface of the book The History of the Spanish Black Legend in Hispanic America (Carbia, 2004), Molina says: «The Hispanidad was the concept that best defined the steps to follow and around it institutions, periodicals, and even a clear will to transmit this message to American nations emerged. By law of November 2, 1940, the Council of Hispanidad was created».
This view of history is characterized by downplaying the excesses of conquest, silence on anti-Spanish criticisms from indigenism in the previous century, and referring to the imperial period as the glorious past of the Spanish nation and its Catholic Church. It portrays Spaniards as altruistic protectors of indigenous people, carriers of civilization and its benefits (Molina, 1997).
Conclusions
The legend about the past of the Spanish Crown has had two distinct sides: the black and the white. The first was conditioned by political, religious, and economic rivalry in a Europe that found an instrument to attack Spanish supremacy. The second is marked by internal sectors such as Franco's regime, responding to the former by reinforcing and redirecting Americanist studies towards patriotism and exalting the American enterprise. Both currents are characterized by their subjectivity, ignoring the use of scientific methodology to construct the past as it was or as close to it as possible, without ulterior motives.
It is there where historians must ask themselves what role do we historians and archaeologists have in this? To promote the correction of historical errors that the population still maintains to build a portrait of the past as accurate as possible with textual and material sources; or simply give the population the tools and leave them to their fate.
Bibliography
Mira Caballos, E. (2016). The Black Legend. Myth and Reality of the Conquest of America. The Hinojal Journal of MUVI Studies, 12, 94-101.
Molina Martínez, M. (1991). The Black Legend. Nerea.
Navascués y Martín, J. (2019). The two legends about the conquest of America: imperialism or genocide? Our Time, 701, 56-67.
Rodas Romero, D. (2023). The Spanish Black Legend. Subjective History. Arqueo Times, 6, 20-22.
Straehle Porras, E. (2020). The resurgence of the current Black Legend: between history, memory and politics. Passages: Contemporary Thought Journal, 60, 43-66.
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