Bartolomé de las Casas

Born in Seville in 1484, Bartolomé de las Casas traveled to the Caribbean in the early years of Spanish colonization. He later became a Dominican friar, as well as a writer, historian, and bishop, and spent much of his life arguing that Indigenous peoples of the Americas were fully human and deserved justice, freedom, and humane treatment.

He is best known for condemning the violence and exploitation carried out by Spanish colonists, especially in works such as A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. His advocacy helped make him a major voice in debates over colonial policy, and he is often remembered as a reformer who pressed the Spanish crown to curb abuses.

Las Casas died in 1566, but his legacy has lasted for centuries. Readers still turn to him not only for historical testimony, but also for a powerful early argument against cruelty, oppression, and the misuse of power.