Bartolomé de las Casas was a Spanish priest of the Dominican Order, the first to be sent to the New World. Unlike many of his colleagues and contemporaries, he stood up for the native inhabitants of the land newly discovered by Christopher Columbus. He has put an end to Indian slavery by persuading Emperor Charles V.
Las Casas first visited the New World in 1502. In 1512 he moved to the newly conquered Cuba, where he obtained a hacienda and some slaves. Compared to most other Spaniards, he treated his slaves well. Two years later he gave up these possessions and began his activities to improve the position of the Indians. In 1522, Emperor Charles V gave him permission to found a model colony in Venezuela, an experiment that failed after two years, mainly due to the intervention of slave traders. The las Casas' efforts led to the New Laws in 1542, banning Native American slavery and requiring conquistadors to consider the welfare of the Native Americans. Today, Las Casas is considered a great protector of the Indians and one of the first human rights defenders.
