The Perspective on Native Americans throughout the Conquest as Provided in the First Poetry Competition of the RAE (1778)

Abstract

Since its foundation in 1713, the Real Academia Espanola has set the main objective of caring for the language. With the intention of reaching this goal, in addition to the preparation of its main works, the Dictionary, Spelling and Grammar, the institution also convened various competitions during the 18th century to promote the proper use of Poetry and Eloquence and providing some ideas related to the mottos of the contests. The first Poetry competition (1778) had as its motto La destruccion de las naves de Cortes (Cortes’s ships destruction), one that allowed participants to recall the achievements of the Spanish expeditionary and also to spread the cliches used to refer to the the native Americans. A descriptive and critical analysis of the handwritten works that were submitted to the first Poetry contest of the Real Academia Espanola will show the perspective about the indigenous people and how this competition was also a response to the accusations of the Black Legend.