Why is bartolome de las casas significant

Christopher Minster. Professor of History and Literature. Christopher Minster, Ph. Updated November 07, Born: c.

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I Accept Show Purposes. The work was published by his own request after his death. Las Casas became an avid critic of the encomienda system. He argued that the Indians were free subjects of the Castilian crown, and their property remained their own. At the same time, he stated that evangelization and conversion should be done through peaceful persuasion and not through violence or coercion.

Between and , he wrote several texts attacking the encomenderos and accusing persons and institutions of the sin of oppressing the Indians. He also developed a new system of evangelization that the Dominicans used favorably in Central America. It ceased to be a hereditary grant, and the encomenderos had to set free their Indians.

Slaves from Africa who had begun arriving in the s had slowly replaced the indigenous labor force. In , Las Casas returned to Spain where he became an influential advisor to the emperor and the Council of the Indies until the moment of his death in This became the most important text at the time supporting the Spanish conquest of the Americas and their methods.

The text justified theoretically following Aristotelian ideas of natural slavery the inferiority of Indians and their enslavement by the Spaniards. He claimed that the Indians had no ruler, and no laws, so any civilized man could legitimately appropriate them. The debate, which continued in , reached no firm conclusion; but the court seemed to agree with Las Casas, and demanded a better treatment for the Indians. Zalta ed. John, totally unpeopled; all which are above Two Thousand miles in length, and yet remain without Inhabitants, Native, or People.

As to the firm land, we are certainly satisfied, and assured, that the Spaniards by their barbarous and execrable Actions have absolutely depopulated Ten Kingdoms, of greater extent than all Spain, together with the Kingdoms of Aragon and Portugal, that is to say, above One Thousand Miles, which now lye waste and desolate, and are absolutely ruined, when as formerly no other Country whatsoever was more populous.

Nay we dare boldly affirm, that during the Forty Years space, wherein they exercised their sanguinary and detestable Tyranny in these Regions, above Twelve Millions computing Men, Women, and Children have undeservedly perished; nor do I conceive that I should deviate from the Truth by saying that above Fifty Millions in all paid their last Debt to Nature.

Those that arrived at these Islands from the remotest parts of Spain, and who pride themselves in the Name of Christians, steered Two courses principally, in order to the Extirpation, and Exterminating of this People from the face of the Earth.

The first whereof was raising an unjust, bloody, cruel War. The other, by putting them to death, who hitherto, thirsted after their Liberty, or designed which the most Potent, Strenuous and Magnanimous Spirits intended to recover their pristine Freedom, and shake off the Shackles of so injurious a Captivity: For they being taken off in War, none but Women and Children were permitted to enjoy the benefit of that Country-Air….