Bartolome de Las Casas, a sixteenth century Spanish writer and Dominican friar, was one of the first advocates for human rights. Primarily advocating the rights of the Indians, Bartolome spent most of his life as a "protector of the Indians." De Las Casas was involved in the conquest of Cuba and saw first hand the savagery of the Spaniards. Bartolome moved to Hispaniola in 1502, there seeing the depopulation of the land and the atrocities the natives surpassed due to the act of the Spanish conquistadors. Realizing that the Natives were undergoing unfair treatment he gave up his own indigenous slaves and encomienda and started to advocate for the Indian rights. Bartolome de Las Casas became a friar and wrote many pieces of literature in the attempt of seeking justice for the natives. He also participated in many debates, the most famous one being the Valladolid debate in which he stood up for the natives and expressed that they are fully human and deserved to be treated equally. His works inspired many new laws that fought against the ill treatment of natives and led the Europeans to see slavery in a new perspective.
His most famous writing, Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies, depicted the cruelty and grotesque behavior the Spaniards had towards the native people. Bartolome de Las Casas wrote this account for Charles I of Spain in an attempt to showcase the savagery that had and was being committed by the Spaniards. Bartolome was heavily against encomiendas for they exploited indigenous people. The writing Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies, published in 1452, led to new laws that were passed in 1452. These laws limited the power the encomenderos had over the natives. .
Bartolome depicts the irony of the situation in this account by explaining how the Spaniards were supposed to venture into the New World and Christianize the Indians yet instead murdered them and used them for their gold.
