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Archiver > Melungeon > 2005-12 > 1134696789


From: Melungeon Movement <>
Subject: Re: [Melungeon] Spanish Presence in North America
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 17:33:09 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <003201c601a3$d6c157d0$6401a8c0@charlie1>


When the Pope learned of what the conquistadors were doing to the people of the America's, he demanded that the Indians be treated as subjects of the Roman Catholic Church. Of course the conquistadors had their own plans when out of sight of Pope Alexander VI. The Archives of Seville, in Spain, have records on those who came to the Americas, the LSD has a copy of the records on file too.

Brenda, the Catholic Church with Indian parishners most likely do have records for the time era 1700-to present. But, they are not easy to get. I'm having trouble getting records from the early 1900s. Any ideas on how to acess old Catholic records would be appreciated.

Interesting links:

"Slavery a la Mexicana

According to the reports of the first Europeans to visit the New World, slavery was almost universal in what is now Mexico and Central America. Theoretically, with the arrival of Europeans, that should have changed.

In 1493 Pope Alexander VI, while granting Spain the right to colonize the New World, mandated that the indigenous people be converted to Catholicism and prohibited their enslavement. However, he added a "catch 22" by going on to say that those who did not accept Christianity or reverted to their old religion, should be punished and could be enslaved. More positively, in 1500, Queen Isabella of Spain had expressly ordered, "all the Indians of the Spaniards were to be free from slavery." This order had no ifs or buts. When she died in 1504, her will instructed her successors to continue these policies."


http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/slenchek/slslavery.html

also more at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/discovery/exploration/conquistadors_01.shtml


ljcrain <> wrote:
Do you think those records are here or in Spain? Remember the Spanish
usually had three record keepers along on these expeditions. One would be a
priest, one a government official and the other I don't know. Who got the
records and what was their final repository?

And they would be in Spanish and in 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th century
Spanish. Even a person well versed in Spanish would have the same problem
English speakers would have reading English from that period.

Not trying to be discouraging, just offering a cautionary note.

Janet Crain


----- Original Message -----
From: "brenda"
To:
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Melungeon] Spanish Presence in North America


> Hmmmm.... what a wonderful thought, Helen. I am wondering of the
> archdiocese of areas with large NA communities would know the contact
> people to get this info. I'll bet it is there.
>
> brenda
>> Dennis,
>>
>> I don't know....I am trying to say that the Roman Catholic Church most
>> likely has many records that were sent back to the New World. I don't
>> know if the Roman Catholic Church has published anything on their
>> converted subjects, the Native Americans?
>>
>> Melungeon hugs,
>>
>> Helen
>>
>> Dennis Maggard wrote:
>> From: "Melungeon Movement"
>>
>>> Dennis,
>>>
>>> That sure is a very short history of New Spain. The time span 1570-1793
>> is 223 years. Women came as early as 1509.
>>
>> I don't understand your point, Helen. I wasn't giving a history of New
>> Spain, just some demographic data I found readily available on the net
>> which
>> supports your statement about the Spanish population of New Spain.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>
>
>
> ==== Melungeon Mailing List ====
> Jack Goins Website:
> http://www.jgoins.com/
> Penny Ferguson's American History Timeline:
> http://www.jgoins.com/webtimeline.htm
>
>



==== Melungeon Mailing List ====
Jack Goins Website:
http://www.jgoins.com/
Penny Ferguson's American History Timeline:
http://www.jgoins.com/webtimeline.htm





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