Bartolomé de las Casas
1484–1566 · Spanish (Seville) · Age of Discovery / Colonial Era
Known for: Dominican friar who became the first great European advocate for indigenous rights—his account of Spanish atrocities shocked the world
Las Casas arrived in Hispaniola in 1502 as a colonist and initially participated in the exploitation of indigenous people. Around 1514, he experienced a radical conversion, freed his slaves, and spent the rest of his life fighting for indigenous rights.
His Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies documented Spanish colonial brutality in graphic detail. He debated Sepúlveda at Valladolid over whether colonization was morally justified. He was called 'Protector of the Indians' by the Spanish Crown.
What Bartolomé de las Casas would be watching
The “if they lived today” Q&A on this page gives Bartolomé de las Casas The Mission (1986) as a favourite film. Their reason: “Jeremy Irons understood. The sword is not the answer. The cross is—when it's not being used as a weapon.” Rankquant scores it above 88% of films, drawn from 171 IMDb reviewers individually re-centred rather than averaged raw. The full film & TV rankings are built the same way.
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