ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Back to Individuals
low risk
Bartolomé de las Casas
Spanish Dominican Friar and Advocate for Indigenous Rights
Activist
Overview
Bartolomé de las Casas was a Spanish Dominican friar, priest, and writer who became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas. He documented Christopher Columbus's and subsequent colonizers' atrocities against indigenous peoples in his seminal work "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies"(1552). He became one of the earliest advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples and is often considered a pioneer of human rights.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Documented Columbus's atrocities against indigenous peoples in "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies"
Initially participated in the colonization system before becoming its fiercest critic
Early advocacy briefly included support for African slavery as alternative (later recanted)
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Queen Isabella
Documented genocide caused by Isabella's colonial enterprise
Sources & Documentation
1 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- November 11, 1484
- Birthplace
- Seville, Crown of Castile
Education
Key Timeline
1502
Arrived in Hispaniola, witnessed Spanish atrocities against indigenous peoples
1514
Underwent moral conversion, began advocating for indigenous rights
1552
Published "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies" documenting colonial atrocities