Hispaniola
Essays

The relationship between the Catholic Church and Latin America is one that goes back to the earliest history of European Spain's first explorations of South America. The Church has had an integral role in the…

Junot Diaz: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

¶ … Dreams and the Legacy of Ponce de Leon

This essay outlines several articles dealing with early South American colonization. It focuses on the system of 'impressing' or tying native laborers to the land, versus slavery practiced in other regions of the colonial world.

¶ … earth, as the people of the old world had come to meet the ones from the new one on the American continent. The island of Hispaniola had been the place to host the meeting between the natives and the Europeans.

Juan Ponce de Leon was an explorer that was in search of riches and youth. On this exploration of youth and riches, he discovers Florida. He was descended from an ancient and noble family; the surname of Le n was…

Contemporary history books regard the European explorers as courageous men who risked life and limb on the vast oceans searching for lands to expand European society. Every October, the United States celebrates Columbus…

This paper examines the life and work of Bartoleme de Las Casas, whom may be considered as an early human rights activist within the Church during the days of Spanish colonization of the New World. His writings are noted for their passionate defense of the Indian--but also for their exaggerated notion of Spanish violence.

¶ … Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Specifically, it will contain a reaction to the book as it pertains to Latin American history. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, or President Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, plays an…

The picture of European life during the Middle Ages that Stannard paints is truly horrific. It is probable that most people living today have absolutely no idea how fortunate they are to have been born now rather than…