15 Questions
What is the main characteristic of the heroes mentioned in the passage?
They were all courageous and stood up against oppression
What was Bartolome de Las Casas' occupation?
Clergyman
Who did Bartolome's father explore the New World with?
Christopher Columbus
What was an encomienda?
A grant given by the Spanish Crown to explorers
Why did many Old World Europeans believe they had the right to take over the New World?
Because they believed God had given them the right to rid the New World of 'savage' religions and heresy
What did Bartolome Las Casas earn degrees in?
Latin and religious studies
What did Bartolome's father receive from the Spanish Crown?
An encomienda on Hispaniola
What event in 1516 erased Las Casas' efforts towards reform?
The death of King Ferdinand of Spain
What was the name of the region where Las Casas worked to peacefully integrate with the indigenous populations?
Verapaz
What was the main argument of Sepulveda in the Valladolid debates?
The idea that some were born to be enslaved
What was the result of Las Casas' efforts towards reform in the 1540s?
The New Laws of 1542 were passed
What was the outcome of the Valladolid debates?
No winner was declared, but history gives a slight nod to Las Casas
What was the main theme of the written work Las Casas published in the 1550s?
The destruction he witnessed while in the New World
What was Las Casas' stance towards the conquests of the Americas by Spain in his later years?
They were morally reprehensible
What was the result of Las Casas' publication of his account of the destruction in the New World?
Many in Spain threw their support behind Las Casas and his efforts
Study Notes
Bartolomé de Las Casas
- Bartolomé de Las Casas was a Spanish clergyman who dedicated his life to defending the indigenous people of the Americas during the Age of Exploration.
Las Casas' Family Background
- Las Casas' father explored the New World with Christopher Columbus, and the family grew wealthy through an encomienda (a grant giving them the right to demand payment and enslavement of indigenous people) on Hispaniola.
Las Casas' Early Life
- Bartolomé Las Casas chose the priesthood, becoming a master of Latin and religious studies, earning two degrees in these fields.
Witness to Atrocities
- In the early 1500s, Las Casas witnessed a massacre of indigenous people in the New World, declaring it a mortal sin and renouncing his family's land holdings in Hispaniola.
Reform Efforts
- Las Casas petitioned King Ferdinand of Spain for reform over the fair treatment of indigenous people, but the king's death in 1516 erased the progress made.
The Verapaz Experiment
- In 1537, Las Casas led a group of missionaries to the region of present-day Guatemala, peacefully integrating with the indigenous population, and the area was named Verapaz (true peace).
Rise to Bishop and the New Laws of 1542
- By the 1540s, Las Casas became a bishop and lobbied for the New Laws of 1542, limiting the encomienda system and its abuses.
The Valladolid Debates
- Las Casas participated in the Valladolid debates, arguing that the indigenous people were free and deserving of equal treatment, against Sepulveda, who argued for natural slavery.
Later Life and Legacy
- Las Casas continued to spread his beliefs through writing, including a graphic account of the destruction he witnessed in the New World, and eventually claimed that all Spanish conquests in the Americas were morally reprehensible.
- He died in 1566, but his efforts contributed to raising awareness about the injustices faced by indigenous peoples.
Learn about the life and legacy of Bartolome de Las Casas, a Spanish colonist who fought for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas.
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