BARTOLOME DE LAS
CASAS (1484-1566)
Bartoleme de las Casas, a Spanish colonist, a priest, founder of a Utopian
community and first Bishop of Chiapas, was a scholar, historian and 16th century
human rights advocate. Las Casas has been called the Father of anti-imperialism
and anti-racism. Others take a more guarded or modest view of his achievements.
What there is little or no dispute about is that Las Casas was an early and
energetic advocate and activist for the rights of native peoples.
Las Casas came to the Indies early, he knew Columbus and was the editor of
the Admiral's journal. He knew conditions in the Americas first hand. As the
reading in our packet indicates, he was present during Spanish genocidal attacks
on the native population of Cuba.
After coming to the realization that the Spanish treatment of the native
population was unconscionable, Las Casas became a Dominican priest, and began
travelling back and forth accross the Atlantic. He was in part responsible for
the repeal of the laws which allowed the Indians to be used in what amounted to
slave labor gangs. This was the econmienda
system. Government officials were willing to go along with this attempt to end
the system for they feared that a new class of feudal lords would arise in the
colonies. The Spanish colonists were outraged at this interference. Las Casas
attempted to set up a colony on the coast of Venezuala where the native people
would be treated properly. It failed largely because of the bad example set by
the colony's neighbors.
Because of preassures from the colonists, the
encomienda system was restored. Las Casas returned to Spain and was
eventually able to bring about the great debate of 1550 in the Spanish capital
of Valladolid between Las Casas and the advocate for the colonists Juan Gines de
Sepulveda. The excerpt in our packet is from Las Casas' account of the debate.
The advocates of the encomienda system
eventually triumphed. When the government realized that it might lose Peru to
colonists revolting over this issue, it gave in. Still, Las Casas is a shining
example of resistance to the ill treatment of native peoples. His works were
translated accross Europe. He likely influenced the French essayist
Montaigne's views about the new world.
.
Las Casas Time Line
1484 |
Born in Seville
to Pedro de Las Casas, a small merchant wealthy enough to send his son to
learn Latin in the academy at the cathedral of Seville in 1497. Many older
sources give 1474 as the year of his birth. |
1502 |
Leaves Spain
for Hispaniola in the West Indies with the governor, Nicolas de Ovando. He
earns an encomienda for his
participation in several expeditions and then proceeds to evangelize the
Indians. |
1506 |
Returns briefly
to Europe where he is ordained a deacon in Rome. |
1511 |
On August 15,
Pentecost Sunday, listens to a sermon by a Dominican priest, Father Antonio
de Montesinos on the text "I am a voice crying in the wilderness,"
denouncing Spain's treatment of the Indians. As a result Las Casas returns
his Indian serfs to the governor and the rest of his life is to be spent in
defense of the Indian. |
1512 |
Becomes first
priest to be ordained in the New World. |
1513 |
Takes part in
the violent and bloody conquest of Cuba and receives Indian serfs for his
efforts. |
1515 |
Returns to
Spain to plead the Indian cause before King Ferdinand. With the support of
the archbishop of Toledo, Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros, is named
priest-procurator of the Indies. |
1516 |
In November
returns to America as a member of a commission sent to investigate the
treatment of the Indians. |
1519 |
Returns to
Spain once more. |
1520 |
Presents a
defense of the Indian to King Charles I (Emperor Charles V) arguing that the
time of military conquest of the Indians has passed and that they could be
converted by more peaceful means. After much debate the king sides with Las
Casas and supports his plan to build a colony of farm communities in
present-day Venezuela inhabited by both Spanish and free Indians. Las Casas
sets sail in December. |
1522 |
In January,
after more than a year of continuous opposition of local
encomenderos who incite Indian attacks
on the farmers, the experiment fails. |
1523 |
Disappointed in
the results of his political activities, Las Casas joins the Dominicans in
Santo Domingo and focuses his energy on writing. Over the next several years
he will write several works including the treatise "Concerning the Only Way
of Drawing All Peoples to the True Religion" and the beginnings of both
Apologetica historia de las Indias and
Historia de Las Indies. |
1530 |
Returned to
Spain and obtained a royal decree prohibiting the enforcement of slavery in
Peru which he delivered personally. |
1537 |
Receives some
support from the Pope in the form of Paul III's bull
Sublimis Deus which declared the
American Indians as rational beings with souls and that their lives and
property should be protected. |
1542 |
Returns to
Spain where he convinced Charles I to signs the "New Laws" which prohibited
Indian slavery and attempted to put an end to the
endomienda system by limiting ownership
of serfs to a single generation. Writes his most influential and best known
work, "A brief report on the Destruction of the Indians," which horrifies
the court. |
1544 |
To ensure
enforcement of the laws he is named bishop of Chiapas in Guatemala and sets
sail in July. Upon arrival meets immediate opposition. He declares in his
tract Confesionario that any Spaniard
who refuse to release his Indians is to be denied absolution. Many members
of his clergy refuse to follow this order. A year later the inheritance
limitation is rescinded by Charles V. |
1547 |
Returns to
Spain and gives up his episcopal dignity. Becomes an influential figure at
court and at the Council of the Indies. Begins conflict with Juan Gines de
Sepulveda who defends Spain's treatment of the Indians on Aristotelian
principles. |
1550 |
At the order of
Charles I meets Sepulveda in the famous debate at the Council of Valladolid.
While Las Casas convinced the theologians who presided over the debate and
received official approval it was Sepulveda's teachings which largely
prevailed in the Indies. |
1552 |
Without
clearance from the Inquisition, publishes The
Destruction of the Indies. Spends the next fourteen years writing and
appearing at court and councils in defense of the Indians. |
1566 |
Dies in Madrid
and buried in the convent chapel of Our Lady of Atocha. |
1875 |
Historia de las Indias first published. |