1484-1566
Missionary And Historian

Journey to the New World. The son of a merchant who would accompany Christopher Columbus on his second voyage and a woman who owned a bakery, Bartolome de Las Casas was born in Seville, Spain, probably in 1484. He was there in March 1493, when Columbus returned triumphantly from his first voyage. Las Casas prepared for a career in the church, studying theology and law. In 1502, because of his family connections, he accompanied the first governor of the island of Hispaniola to the New World. Shortly before he left, he received the tonsure, making him a member of the clergy, but he was not yet a priest.

Native American Treatment. Upon landing in Hispaniola, Las Casas took part in a military expedition against natives who had rebelled against the Spanish demands for labor. His reward was an encomienda, a grant of land...