Bartolomé de las Casas

Timeline

1. 1484–1510Seville · EuropeBorn in Seville; his father had sailed on Columbus's first voyage. Around 1502 he sailed with Nicolás de Ovando to Hispaniola, and was ordained in Rome in 1507, becoming one of the first priests ordained in the Americas. In his early years he also held an encomienda of forced labor, experiencing the colonial system firsthand.
2. 1510–1531Cuba · AmericasIn 1511 the Dominican Antonio de Montesinos, in a Christmas sermon, denounced the colonizers' abuse of the indigenous people, deeply moving Las Casas. In 1514 he gave up his encomienda and began preaching publicly against colonial atrocities. In 1516 he served as "Protector of the Indians," traveling to Spain to lobby for reform. His early efforts repeatedly met setbacks, yet he joined the Dominicans in 1522 to continue his advocacy on firmer theological grounds.
3. 1531–1544Madrid · EuropeFrom 1531 he lobbied continuously at the Spanish court, submitting reform proposals to Charles V and the Council of the Indies. In 1542 he completed the Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, documenting colonial atrocities in detail, which directly prompted Spain to promulgate the New Laws (1542), banning new encomiendas of forced labor and gradually abolishing the existing system—an important milestone in colonial legislative history.
4. 1544–1551Valladolid · EuropeAppointed first bishop of Chiapas in 1544, he faced strong resistance from colonial residents over implementing the New Laws, and resigned in 1550 to return to Spain. In 1550–1551 he engaged Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda in a great theological debate at Valladolid over the justice of Spain's conquest of the Americas, systematically defending the rational capacity and personal dignity of the indigenous peoples; the theological committee issued no final verdict.
5. 1551–1566Madrid · EuropeAfter resigning the bishopric he settled in Spain and devoted himself to writing. He produced major works such as History of the Indies and Apologetic History, systematically critiquing the colonial system and calling for the restoration of indigenous lands and rights of self-government. He died in Madrid on July 18, 1566; his thought was later regarded as a precursor to international law and human rights, and has received widespread reevaluation since the 20th century.