Bartolome De Las Casas Summary

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Bartolome de Las Casas was Sepulveda's’ greatest antagonist. In his polemical account The Destruction of the Indies Casa defends the Indians after Sepulveda “slandered them.” He defended them by saying that they weren’t dull witted, ignorant, inhuman, nor bestial and they only needed to be “taught the Catholic faith” and “admitted to the holy sacraments” so they could correct their sins. He also states that the Indians aren’t barbaric as Sepulveda says, but are “easy to teach,” “talented,” and are “skilled in every mechanical art.” Casa sees the Spaniards as their “torturers” and calls the Indians “our brothers.