| Date | November 2020 | Marks available | 3 | Reference code | 20N.1.BP.TZ0.5 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | What | Question number | 5 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Source G Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish historian and Dominican missionary during the conquest, writing in the chronicle An Account, Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies (written to Prince Philip of Spain in 1542, published in 1552).
The Spaniards took the Indians’ lands they [the Indians] had inherited and which nourished them. And the Spaniards had all the Indians—lords, old persons, women, and children—within their own houses, and they would have the Indians serve them night and day, without rest, and even the children were occupied in doing all they could, or even more. And so they have exhausted them, and still this day exhaust the few who still remain, without allowing them to have their own house or any possession.
They have oppressed the Indians and been the cause of the rapid death of many people in this province, by making them carry wood for a great distance to the harbour to make boats with, and sending them to find honey and wax into the forests, where they are eaten by wild animals. And they have treated pregnant women like beasts of burden.
[Source: Adapted from Knight, F.W., ed., 2003. An Account, Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies, with
Related Texts. Indianapolis. Hackett.]
Source H Johann Theodor de Bry, an engraver, depicts a scene from 16th century Mexico (1598).
[Source: de Bry, J.T., 1598. [Bartolomé de las Casas Regionum]. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Bartolom%C3%A9_de_las_Casas_Regionum_355385740_MG_8857_042-12.tif.]
What, according to Source G, was the impact of the Spanish conquest on the indigenous populations?
What does Source H suggest about the impact of the conquest on the indigenous populations in Mexico?
Markscheme
- The Spaniards seized land from the indigenous peoples.
- They forced the indigenous populations of all ages to work for them.
- The indigenous populations were not allowed to own houses or have possessions.
- The difficult working conditions contributed to the death of many indigenous people.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. It is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and no set answer is required. Award [1] for each relevant point up to a maximum of [3].
- The indigenous populations were exploited by the Spanish.
- The Spanish treated the indigenous people brutally.
- The Spanish killed indigenous people during the conquest.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. It is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and no set answer is required. Award [1] for each relevant point up to a maximum of [2].
Examiners report
Many candidates succeeded in identifying three valid points from the source. However, as seen in previous sessions, a few candidates rolled points together, or repeated the same point more than once. There were also cases where the response lacked clarity, or where only one or two distinct points were offered. It is important to remind candidates that three separate points are required for full marks and these should be derived from the content of the source rather than background knowledge.
Most candidates offered at least one clear point regarding what the visual source revealed, with many able to identify two valid points. It was pleasing to encounter responses that explored the different elements of the source, for example the ironic nature of the cartoon in Source J in PS3. Nevertheless, a proportion of candidates gave only one developed point. Candidates should be guided to look for different elements and dynamics in the visual sources.
