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Las Casas: Bartolomé de las Casas, a priest, writer, and the first Bishop of Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico, was born in November, 1484 in Seville, Spain. After taking part in Columbus' second voyage, he settled in the New World, where he witnessed atrocities, such as torture and genocide of the Native Americans by the Spanish colonists. He criticized bringing natives to Spain as slaves in order to repay the cost for Columbus' expeditions. He went to King Charles V (ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and Netherlands) to gain rights for the natives. Originally, he wanted to replace native slave labor of with that of slaves from Africa but became an advocate for the Africans in the colonies, as well.
Carlyle brings up Las Casas when discussing how man is not the product of Mechanism but its creator and producer, arguing that "it is the noble People that makes the noble Government; rather than conversely." He uses Las Casas as an example of a noble person belonging to an ignoble European nation.
Alker Jr, Hayward R. "The Humanistic Moment in International Studies: Reflections on Machiavelli and Las Casas: 1992 Presidential Address." International Studies Quarterly 36 Dec. 1992: 347.
Wikipedia Contributors. "Bartolomé de las Casas." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.13 March. 2010.
Last modified 24 March 2010