How Did Bartolome De Las Casas

Bartolome de las Casas was a priest who seems to have his own personal Reformation. Who was once a money-maker in the Caribbean colonies with slaves working on his vast property, Las Casas’ perspective changed. He began to view the destructive invasion of Europeans in Hispaniola as wrong and unchristian. The landowner became a priest, and as his opinion on the enslavement of the natives developed over time, he produced written works for Indian rights. For example, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, published in 1542, gives a visceral description of the actions of the Spaniards against the natives in order to bring awareness to the king of Castile what such wickedness was against the will of God. Because Las Casas did witness
This is quite a view considering the barbaric, savage, animal-like descriptions Las Casas uses for the conquistators. He seems to ask, Who is the real savage here? Granted, this primary source only gives the position against the actions of the Spaniards and does not offer insight into the reasons or justification for their actions. Las Casas then refers to the Spaniards as “Christians”, and in the same sentence explains how these same “Christians” used and abused the native women and children, forcing them to work so the “Christians” could reap the rewards of their toil. The priest goes on to explain the gluttonous nature of these “Christians”: “what is enough for three households, of ten persons each, for a month, a Christian eats and destroys in one day.” Las Casas continues to describe what he witnessed in Hispaniola, the actions of the Spaniards getting worse, all the while still referring to the abusers as