Narváez and the Natives

Cigar card from the History of Cuba, Geographico Universal, 1920 (Print Collector, Getty Images)

What sort of approval or license from King Carlos did Pánfilo de Narváez need and obtain in order to invade and conquer La Florida for Spain? First, all the conquistadors conquered new lands on behalf of the King who, in this case, was also the Holy Roman Emperor. He was entitiled to a “royal fifth” of all wealth generated from the new territory. In his application for the King’s charter, Narváez said the main purposes of his self-funded conquest were to trade with the natives and convert them to Christianity. He also requested appointment as governor (gobernador), governor-general (adelantado) and captain-general of the La Florida territory. And, like all conquistadors of that time, he wanted the authority to enslave natives who were rebellious or already slaves of other natives. In their response to his petition, the King’s Council of the Indies ordered that colonization, not trade, should be his main objective, and they required Narváez to build at least two towns, each with a hundred colonists, and two forts as well. Implied in that was the requirement that he successfully manage and govern the native populations surrounding those settlements. The Council also included in the Narváez charter (as in others) a rather lengthy requirement to treat native populations justly so as to make them peaceful and willing Christians. An incident in Narváez’s past did not bode well for that result.

  In 1502, a young Bartolomé de las Casas came with his father to the New World to participate in Nicolás de Ovando’s conquest of Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic). He soon became a land and slave owner, before returning to Spain in 1506 to become a Dominican friar. Yet he still defended a benevolent form of slavery when he participated in the conquest of Cuba in 1513, led by Narváez serving under Governor Diego Velásquez. But during that time, he became appalled by the needless violence and cruelty practiced by the Spaniards against native people who weren't even slaves.

In one infamous event, about 100 soldiers of Narváez, accompanied by 1000 friendly Taino Indians who were helping to carry baggage and prepare food, were suddenly attacked by a Spanish soldier for no apparent reason. Las Casas watched in horror as others joined in the slaughter. Before it was over, perhaps 3,000 Indians were killed or maimed. Narváez did nothing to stop it then or punish the soldiers later.

Not long after that “Caonao massacre” (pictured above), Las Casas convinced a number of native chiefs, against their better judgment, to meet with Narváez, assuring them of their safety. Narváez threw them in chains and threatened to burn them alive. Las Casas somehow managed to talk him out of it, but after that the friar became a strong critic of Spanish brutality and advocated against all forced labor and slavery of native peoples. Still, Narváez’s ruthless methods were popular with the Governor, who rewarded him with marriage to his cousin Mariá de Valenzuela and title to rich plantations near Havana.

Much later, in his expedition to La Florida, Narváez’s behavior toward native people showed little sign of improvement. Unlike Cortés, who always contrived to cultivate and reward Indian allies (against other hostile Indians), Narváez tried to control native tribes he encountered solely by intimidation and cruelty. Given his exploitive and heartless attitude toward natives, hostile or not, it’s difficult to imagine him becoming a successful founder and governor of Spanish settlements, even if his expedition had not ended in disaster.