Lope De Aguirre: The Prince Of Freedom

Lope de Aguirre, better known as the Prince of Freedom, was a Spanish soldier who partook in not only the Spanish conquest and exploration of South America, but later on led the rebellion against Spanish rule in parts of the continent. Aguirre is not only known for his extreme acts of brutality against Spanish leaders, but for being one of the first to claim himself as an American. He played a key role in the fight for independence against the Spanish monarchy. His great acts of violence against Spanish leaders placed him in control of the Island of Margarita (Venezuela), Panama, Chile, and Peru. His betrayal to the Spanish crown was frowned upon and he was soon thought of as a symbol of cruelty and treachery in Colonial Spanish America. Lope de Aguirre payed the ultimate price for his acts of cruelty and violence and was captured and killed by the Spaniards in 1561. In July of 1561, Lope de Aguirre wrote a letter to the King of Spain, Phillip II, explaining his reasons to why he declaring independence from the Spanish rule. He begins by noting the importance and power of the king and explains how he is also a noble christian man. He Carries on to explain his services to the Monarchy which include but is not limited to the conquest of Peru and the search for the lost

He solely speaks about his opinions, requests, threats, and worth without ever bringing up the opponents point of view. Because this letter is meant to persuade the king to agree to his request, I believe he wanted to only focus on the problem at hand. He speaks about them being evil and corrupt and unfair but for all the readers know he could be indeed sick in the head. After all he's the one who committed horrifying acts of violence and is expecting to be unpunished. In his letter to Phillip II of Spain the reader is only informed of his points and ideals as an attempt to be straight to the point and