Unbelievers had legitimate dominion over themselves and their property, but this dominion was abolished if they proved unable to govern themselves according to principles that every reasonable person would recognize. The Spaniards quickly came to the conclusion that the habits of the Native Americans, from nudity to unwillingness to work, to alleged cannibalism, clearly demonstrated their inability to recognize natural law. This account of local customs was used to legitimize the enslavement of the Indians, which the Spanish colonists believed was the only way to teach them civilization and introduce them to Christianity. How has this colonial period been judged as a civilizing effort in relation to the Latin America? Some support the Black Legend —they refuse to give any value to the work of Spain and Portugal, calling them rather intolerant because of the method of the tabula rasa; exploiters because of the extraction of gold and silver from Latin America; supporters of slavery because of their treatment of the Indians; and religiously superficial because the Christianity implanted in America was inadequate and in many respects pagan.
LIBERALISM, COLONIALISM, AND LATIN AMERICA Causes and Consequences of Colonialism in Latin America, and Impact on Development. Liberalism, its features.
1 Colonialism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy URL: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/colonialism/
2 Mufwene Salikoko S. Iberian Imperialism and Language Evolution in Latin America
3 Dussel Enrique. A history of the church in Latin America: colonialism to liberation (1492-1979)
4 Orser Jr. Charles E. (ed.). Archaeologies of the British in Latin America
5 Bethell L. The Cambridge History of Latin America, Volume 4: c.1870-1930
6 Liberalism URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberalism
7 Karl Marx. The Future Results of British Rule in India URL: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1853/06/25.htm