Bartolomé de las Casas (1484–1566) was a Spanish priest, historian, and social reformer. He is best known for his advocacy for the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He was born in Seville, Spain, and studied law at the University of Salamanca. He was ordained a priest in 1507 and soon after traveled to the New World, where he served as a chaplain in the Spanish army. Las Casas was appalled by the treatment of the indigenous peoples by the Spanish colonists and began to speak out against it. He wrote several books, including A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, which detailed the atrocities committed by the Spanish against the native peoples. He also wrote a treatise on the rights of the indigenous peoples, which was influential in the Spanish court. Las Casas was a major proponent of the encomienda system, which was a form of labor organization that gave indigenous people some rights and protections. He also worked to end the slave trade in the New World. He was a major influence in the passage of the New Laws of 1542, which abolished the encomienda system and granted more rights to the indigenous peoples. Las Casas spent the rest of his life advocating for the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He died in 1566 in Madrid, Spain.
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