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Valladolid debate (1550)

Type Event Region Spain Time 1550

In July–August 1550, Spain's Charles V convened a theological debate at Valladolid where Bartolomé de las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda argued ov…

Timeline

  1. 1550Valladolid · SpainAmid theological controversy over the conquest and conversion policies in the Americas, Charles V ordered a public debate at Valladolid to address disputes over Indian rights and the legitimacy of conquest.
  2. 1550Valladolid · SpainLas Casas argued that Indians were fully rational beings and opposed conquest and enslavement by war; Sepúlveda invoked Aristotle's doctrine of 'natural slaves' to defend the conquest. After both presented their cases, the jury issued no clear public verdict.

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