In 3-5 sentences, explain why enslaving the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was largely unsuccessful in filling the need of the plantations Support your answer by using one piece of qualitative and one piece of quantitative information from Las Casas's writing (4 points)
Enslaving the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was largely unsuccessful in meeting the demand of the plantations due to factors such as the high mortality rate among enslaved individuals and the moral opposition to this practice. Las Casas, a Spanish historian and colonist, documented the brutality and mistreatment inflicted upon the Indigenous peoples. One qualitative piece of information from his writings is the description of the Spanish colonists' violent and excessive use of force, resulting in the death of thousands of enslaved individuals. Additionally, Las Casas states that the Spaniards could not "protect their investment" in slaves as they died at an alarming rate, either through disease, abuse, or suicide.
Enslaving the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was largely unsuccessful in filling the need of the plantations due to several factors. Firstly, the brutal treatment and harsh conditions imposed on the enslaved Indigenous population led to high mortality rates, making it difficult to sustain a productive workforce. Las Casas notes that within a short period, the Indigenous population decreased drastically from over three million to just a few hundred thousand due to the brutality of the Spanish colonizers. Secondly, Las Casas describes the Indigenous peoples as being "timid and weak" and unsuited for labor-intensive plantation work, making it challenging for them to meet the demands of the plantation economy. Overall, the combination of high mortality rates and the unsuitability of the Indigenous population for plantation work contributed to the failure of enslaving them to fulfill the labor needs of the plantations.
