De Las Casas arrived in Hispaniola in 1502 on the expedition
of Nicolás de Ovando. Although he had been Las Casas a slave owner himself he
underwent a change of heart, gave up his slaves and joined the Dominicans in
1510. The Dominicans became convinced
that the native population were in fact educable and that mistreatment of them
was contrary to the teaching of the Gospel and the prompting of the Holy
Spirit. The denied confession to
colonists known have committed atrocities against the native population and De
Las Casas appealed to King Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor for justice for the
natives of the Hispaniola. “The
colonists, led by Diego Columbus [brother to Columbus], dispatched a complaint
against the Dominicans to the King, and the Dominicans were recalled from
Hispaniola.” De Las Casas subsequently traveled to
Guatemala and Chiapas eventually becoming the first bishop of Chiapas.Saturday, November 16, 2013
De Las Casas' Appeal
De Las Casas arrived in Hispaniola in 1502 on the expedition
of Nicolás de Ovando. Although he had been Las Casas a slave owner himself he
underwent a change of heart, gave up his slaves and joined the Dominicans in
1510. The Dominicans became convinced
that the native population were in fact educable and that mistreatment of them
was contrary to the teaching of the Gospel and the prompting of the Holy
Spirit. The denied confession to
colonists known have committed atrocities against the native population and De
Las Casas appealed to King Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor for justice for the
natives of the Hispaniola. “The
colonists, led by Diego Columbus [brother to Columbus], dispatched a complaint
against the Dominicans to the King, and the Dominicans were recalled from
Hispaniola.” De Las Casas subsequently traveled to
Guatemala and Chiapas eventually becoming the first bishop of Chiapas.
