Impact Of Bartolome De Las Casas

Bartolomé De Las Casas had a huge impact on the horrible treatment of the Indians. Las Casas was a Spanish friar from the Catholic Church. Las Casa believed that the Indian people should not be treated the way they did. However, Bartolomé De Las Casas did not think this at first, but the opposite. Incidentally, Las Casas changed his point of view on Indian slaves and aviated to end the slavery of the Indian people. Las Casas came to this mind set after listening to a sermon from another man and sitting down to read the Bible he changed his mind and wanted to stop the cruel treatment of the Indians and over all set them free. Bartolomé De Las Casas writes about the cruel treatment that the Indian and the fight to show Indians are not sub-human,

Even though all his efforts the struggle continued against the colonists' mistreatment of the Indians. Las Casas presented one of his journals, the "Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias" published in 1552. On November 20, 1542, the Emperor signed the New Laws abolishing the encomienda and removing certain officials from the Council of the Indies. The New Laws made it illegal to take Indians as slaves and the abolition of the encomienda system. Like many changes, it was unpopular and riots broke out. Many times Las Casas's life was threatened for his involvement (Manuel, 281-292). However, through all of his accomplishments Las Casas was not satisfied with the changes he was able to make, all to help Indian slaves prosper and be free from cruelty. He wrote out suggestions to the crown, amendments to the new law. Las Casas wrote saying that it still encouraged violence and wanting a more peaceful approach (Morgan,

Las Casas became an in-between man relaying communications from the Indian people to the Spanish. “As such,Las Casas’s life was a “constant advance” in the quest for biblical justice—for full universal rights for the Indigenous in the here and now… (Orique, 1-24).” He continued working as a kind of speak to the Emperor on their behalf. His influence at court was so great, sometimes ethnic nobility even related their cases to him in Spain. In 1561, he finished Las Casas Historia General de las Indias. Las Casas journal about the cruelty to the Indian slaves. However, it was not published for 314 years later, finally being done in 1875. Finally, in 1565 he wrote his last will, signing over his immense library to the college. Bartolomé de Las Casas died on July 18, 1566, in Madrid (Manuel,