Bartolome La Casas- Reflection

From the reading and the video, Bartolome La Casas is a fundamental character in this
particular setting. One of the primary reasons for the killings and torture that was ongoing in
America was religion. The Europeans were determined to achieve a certain threshold of
followers and were ready to use any means possible to ensure that the natives were converted. As
a priest, La Casas is a very important character whose role can not get overlooked given that he
was one of the missionaries who were tasked with ensuring that the natives converted to
Christianity. Having grown in an elite family, his family had accompanied the settlers in order to
amass more wealth. His reaction to the treatment of the native people makes him a very
important individual given his heritage (Gmür).
Despite being from an elite family and also being a priest who was tasked with the spread
of the gospel, La Casas was not in support of the methods used by his fellow countrymen to
obtain what they required. In my opinion, his omission is significant given his contribution to
that particular part of history. He was known to champion the rights of the natives and was
greatly against the brutality that the people were subjected to (Orique, 2014). He used his
influence to try and mitigate the damage by establishing creative ways and approaches which
would prevent any wars. In his campaigns against brutality and enslavement, he noted that
evangelization should not be conducted at gunpoint as it was against the teachings of religion. He
received his share of opposition but remained stout on his stand, which bore some fruits in some
areas, such as Tierra de Guerra. His omission was, therefore, a significant one given his
contribution and continuous fight for the native’s rights. He was also one of the forerunners
against slavery.

References

Gmür, H. A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Youtube.com. Retrieved 17
September 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSZZdW5DAXU.
Orique, D. T. (2014). The Life, Labor, and Legacy of Bartolomé de Las Casas. Peace
Review, 26(3), 325-333.