Bartolomé De las casas and the Encomienda System

In 1542, Bartolomé de las Casas, a bishop in Mexico, wrote “A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies”. He told of violence and cruelty by Spanish conquistadors, of millions dying, of Indians being made into slaves. It shocked Europe. Spain’s enemies loved every word of it. In 1547, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda hit back with “On the Just Causes of War”. He was one of Spain’s top experts on Aristotle, the last word in science and philosophy in those days. In 1551, Charles V brought Las Casas and Sepulveda together in Valladolid to debate before the Council of the Indies and his top experts on law and religion.

Видео Bartolomé De las casas and the Encomienda System канала Alex Gomez