Few historical figures are as complex and controversial as Bartolomé de las Casas. Celebrated as one of the earliest defenders of Indigenous rights in the Americas, he spent much of his life condemning Spanish brutality against Native peoples. Yet he is also remembered for something far less admirable: his early support for the importation of enslaved Africans to replace Indigenous laborers in Spain’s American colonies.
From Colonist to Critic
Bartolomé de las Casas was born in Seville, Spain, in 1484. He arrived in the Caribbean in the early years of Spanish colonization and initially participated in the colonial system. Like many settlers, he received an encomienda, a grant that gave colonists access to Indigenous labor. He also took part in Spanish expeditions in the Caribbean.
At first, Las Casas accepted the system as normal. However, his views began to change after witnessing the devastating treatment of Indigenous peoples. Spanish colonists subjected Native communities to forced labor, violence, displacement, and disease. Entire populations were devastated within a few decades of European arrival.
A major turning point came when Las Casas encountered the criticisms of Dominican friars who condemned Spanish abuses. Gradually, he became convinced that the conquest and exploitation of Indigenous peoples were morally wrong. He eventually gave up his encomienda and dedicated himself to defending Native communities.
The Defender of Indigenous Peoples
Over the following decades, Las Casas emerged as one of the most vocal defenders of Indigenous peoples in the Spanish Empire.
He argued that Native Americans were fully rational human beings who possessed natural rights and should not be enslaved. This was a significant position in an era when some Europeans questioned whether Indigenous peoples were fully human or capable of governing themselves.
Las Casas traveled repeatedly between Spain and the Americas, petitioning the Spanish Crown for reforms. He wrote numerous works describing colonial abuses and urging authorities to intervene.
His most famous book, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, painted a dark picture of Spanish conduct in the New World. It described massacres, forced labor, torture, and the destruction of entire communities.
Although some historians debate the accuracy of certain numbers and descriptions in the book, there is little doubt that Las Casas documented genuine atrocities that were occurring across Spanish America.
His activism helped influence the passage of the New Laws of 1542, which sought to improve conditions for Indigenous peoples and limit their exploitation.
The Proposal That Made Him Controversial
While campaigning to protect Indigenous peoples, Las Casas advanced a proposal that would later become one of the most controversial aspects of his legacy.
Because Indigenous populations were declining rapidly under colonial rule, he suggested that enslaved African laborers could be brought to the Americas instead.
His reasoning was not that Africans were inferior. Rather, he believed that Indigenous peoples were being destroyed by the colonial labor system and looked for an alternative that would allow the colonies to continue functioning economically.
This proposal has often led to the claim that Las Casas “introduced” African slavery to the Americas. Historians generally reject that idea. Africans had already been transported to Spanish colonies before Las Casas made his recommendation. The transatlantic slave trade was already underway and was driven by powerful economic and political forces that extended far beyond any single individual.
Nevertheless, Las Casas did advocate the increased use of enslaved African labor at a critical moment, and historians acknowledge that his recommendation helped lend support to a practice that was already expanding.
Why He Changed His Mind
As Las Casas learned more about the realities of enslaved Africans, his views changed dramatically.
He eventually realized that Africans were being captured, bought, and transported through systems that were every bit as unjust as those imposed on Indigenous peoples. The more deeply he reflected on the nature of slavery, the more difficult it became for him to defend any form of human bondage.
In his later writings, particularly in his massive historical work History of the Indies, Las Casas openly admitted that he had been wrong. He criticized his own earlier recommendation and expressed regret for having supported the importation of enslaved Africans. He came to believe that African slavery was just as unjust as Indigenous slavery.
By the end of his life, he condemned slavery itself rather than merely objecting to the enslavement of particular groups.
A Legacy of Contradictions
Las Casas’s apology did not erase the controversy surrounding his earlier recommendation. Although he later admitted that supporting the importation of enslaved Africans had been a mistake and expressed regret in his History of the Indies, some critics continued to hold him responsible for helping legitimize African slavery in the Americas
Among them was the nineteenth century abolitionist David Walker, who harshly condemned Las Casas and accused him of contributing to the enslavement of Africans. Walker described him as a man driven by greed and blamed him for the suffering of countless Africans transported across the Atlantic.
Death
Las Casas died in 1566, having spent more than half a century fighting against colonial abuses.
On one hand, he was among the earliest Europeans to argue that all peoples possessed inherent dignity and rights. His efforts helped expose abuses that many preferred to ignore, and his writings remain valuable historical sources.
On the other hand, his early support for African slavery cannot be ignored. Even though he later renounced that position, it remains an important part of his story.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bartolome-de-Las-Casas
https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/july-2015-bartolom-de-las-casas-and-500-years-racial-injustice
https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/research/las-casas-institute-for-social-justice/about-the-las-casas-institute/bartolome-de-las-casas/
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03397a.htm
https://www.survivalinternational.org/articles/3208-bartolome
