The conversion of African people to Christianity was a long process that began in Africa and concluded in the New World. The religious protection and the health of the soul of the slave were, for the owner of the slave and for the State, a permanent obligation. But to take charge of this moral obligation implied a multiplicity of factors: The Spaniards did not know the African languages, the massive numbers of slaves arrived at the main ports, the smuggling of slaves, the lack of ecclesiastical control due to the lack of priests and missionaries , and the lack of commitment on the part of the owners of the slaves. All this implies that the Christianization of the slaves was carried out with less rigor than that of the Indians, whose conversion to Christianity was a priority during all the stages of the conquest and colonization.
Senator J. William Fulbright built support for doves in Congress
by holding hearings that provided a platform for war critics to build support
against the war in Congress. Senator Fulbright challenged the testimony of
administration officials in televised Senate hearings on Vietnam.
