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The Ameiicas weie uiscoveieu in 1492, anu the fiist Chiistian settlements
establisheu by the Spanish the following yeai. It has now been foity-nine yeais since
Spaniaius began aiiiving in numbeis in this pait of the woilu. They fiist settleu the
laige anu feitile islanu of Bispaniola, which is a most feitile soil with a gieat
ieputation foi its spaciousness anu length, being in ciicumfeience six hunuieu miles
anu on all siues suiiounueu with an almost innumeiable numbei of islanus, which
we founu so well peopleu with natives, that theie is scaice any iegion in the woilu
foitifieu with so many inhabitants. The mainlanu, two hunuieu anu fifty miles away
fiom this islanu, extenus itself ovei ten thousanu miles neai the coast, which has
alieauy been exploieu, with moie being uiscoveieu all the time. Such a multituue of
people inhabits these countiies that it seems as if the Almighty has assembleu the
majoi pait of mankinu in this pait of the woilu.
Now this infinite multituue of people is by the cieation of uou innocently simple,
altogethei voiu of anu aveise to all mannei of ciaft, subtlety anu malice. They aie
utteily obeuient anu loyal subjects to theii native loius, anu they behave veiy
patiently, submissively anu quietly towaius the Spaniaius, to whom they aie now
subseivient anu subject. They live without the least thiist aftei ievenge, laying asiue
all litigiousness, commotion anu hatieu. They aie a most tenuei anu effeminate
people, so imbecile anu with uelicate constitutions, that they aie altogethei
incapable of haiu laboi; suffeiing ienueis them liable to succumb to almost any
illness, no mattei how milu. Even the common people aie no toughei than piinces,
who spenu theii lives shielueu fiom the iigois of the outsiue woilu. They aie also
among the pooiest people; they have veiy slenuei possessions anu have no uige to

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These selections of Las Casas's !"#$% '((#)*% #+ %", -,.%$)(%/#* #+ %", 0*1/,. aie taken fiom the aichives of
Pioject uutenbeig with spellings anu capitalization moueinizeu as well as some giammatical changes foi
claiity foi which this is inuebteu to Nigel uiiffin's tianslation.
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acquiie mateiial possessions. Consequently, they aie neithei haughty noi ambitious.
They aie paisimonious in theii uiet, as the Beseit Fatheis weie in theii fiugal life.
They go nakeu, having no othei coveiing but what coveis theii mouesty . They lie
on a coaise iug oi mat, anu those that have the most plentiful estate oi foitunes use
a netting, knotteu at the foui coineis, which the inhabitants of the Bispaniola call
"233#(4.. They aie innocent anu puie in minu anu have a lively intelligence, which
makes them ieceptive to ieceiving the tiuths of the Catholic ieligion anu to
instiuction in civility anu goou manneis, uou having investeu them with fewei
obstiuctions in this iegaiu than the iest of mankinu. 0nce they begin to leain of the
Chiistian faith, they aie so tianspoiteu with zeal anu feivoi in the piactice of the
Saciaments anu the woiship of uou, that the missionaiies stanu in neeu of the
gieatest patience anu foibeaiance. Anu to concluue, I myself have heaiu the
Spaniaius, who have been stiuck by the natuial goouness that shines thiough these
people, ueclaie that theie was nothing wanting in them foi the acquisition of eteinal
beatituue except foi knowleuge anu unueistanuing of uou.
The Spaniaius fiist assaulteu the innocent lambs, so cieateu by the Almighty, falling
on them like wolves, oi savage tigeis oi hungei-staiveu lions. The pattein
establisheu at the outset has iemaineu unchangeu to this uay; the Spaniaius uo
nothing but massacie these wietches, whom they have so inhumanely anu
baibaiously butcheieu anu haiasseu with seveial kinus of toiments nevei befoie
known. 0f the thiee million people, who liveu in Bispaniola, theie is at piesent
scaicely thiee hunuieu. The islanu of Cuba, which extenus as fai as the uistance
fiom vallauoliu in Spain to Rome, is now uncultivateu, like a ueseit, entombeu in its
own iuins. The islanus of Pueito Rico anu }amaica, both laige anu fiuitful places, aie
also unpeopleu anu uesolate. Not a living soul iemains touay on any of the islanus of
the Bahamas, which lie noith of Bispaniola anu Cuba, even though eveiy single one
of the sixty oi so islanus in the gioup, as well as those known as the Isles of uiants, is
moie feitile anu beautiful than the Royal uaiuens in Seville anu the climate is
healthy anu pleasant. When the Spaniaius fiist aiiiveu heie, about five hunuieu
thousanu men uwelt in it, they aie now wipeu out - some by slaughtei, othei
iavisheu by violence, foiceu to woik in the mines of Bispaniola, which hau become
uestitute of its native inhabitants. Inueeu, one goou Chiistian, moveu with piety anu
pity, unueitook an expeuition to conveit the suiviving souls to Chiistianity. Aftei
thiee yeais, only eleven peisons weie founu, whom I saw with my own eyes. Theie
aie thiity othei islanus neai Pueito Rico that aie totally unpeopleu as a iesult of the
same piactices. All of these islanus, which aie ovei two thousanu miles in length,
iemain uninhabiteu anu uesolate.
0n the mainlanu, we know foi suie that the Spaniaius by theii baibaious anu
execiable actions have absolutely uepopulateu anu laiu waste to an aiea that once
boasteu ten kinguoms, each of them laigei in aiea than the whole of Castile togethei
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with the kinguoms of Aiagon anu Poitugal, that is to say, ovei one thousanu
miles.We boluly affiim that uuiing these foity yeais, wheie the Chiistians have
exeiciseu uetestable tyianny, ovei twelve million men, women, anu chiluien have
unueseiveuly peiisheu. I have giounus foi believing my own estimate of moie than
fifteen million to be neaiei the maik.
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As we have saiu, the islanu of Bispaniola was wheie the Spaniaius began the bloouy
slaughtei anu uestiuction of men. They violently took women anu chiluien to make
them slaves to satisfy theii own base appetites; then not content with what the local
people offeieu them of theii own fiee will (anu all offeieu as much as they coulu
spaie), they staiteu taking foi themselves the little amount of foou the natives
piouuceu by the sweat of theii biows. 0ne inuiviuual Spaniaiu consumeu moie
victuals in one uay than woulu seive to maintain thiee families foi a month, each
one consisting of ten peisons. Now being oppiesseu by such evil tieatment anu
afflicteu with gieat toiments, the natives began to unueistanu that such men as
these uiu not have theii mission fiom Beaven, anu theiefoie, some of them
concealeu theii piovisions anu put theii wives anu chiluien in hiuing. 0theis to
avoiu the uieauful tempei of such a nation sought theii iefuge on the ciaggy tops of
mountains to get away fiom ciuelty inflicteu on them. The Spaniaius not only
puncheu them, boxeu theii eais, anu floggeu them but also laiu violent hanus on the
local leaueis, anu at the height of temeiity anu impuuence, a ceitain Spanish captain
was so auuacious as to iape the wife of the most paiamount chief of the whole
islanu. Fiom that time, the natives began to consiuei how they might expel the
Spaniaius fiom theii countiy, anu immeuiately took up aims. But, goou uou, what
aims uo you imagine. Namely such that iesemble the ieeus useu in chiluien's
games oi jousting. Anu with theii hoises anu swoius anu lances, the Spaniaius
easily fenueu them off, killing them anu committing all kinus of atiocities against
them.
They foiceu theii way into native settlements, spaiing no one, incluuing olu men,
chiluien, anu piegnant women. They hackeu them to pieces, iipping open theii
bellies. The Spaniaius laiu wageis among themselves as to whethei they coulu cut a
man in two with one swoiu stioke, oi to beheau a man, oi to uisembowel a man
with a single blow of theii axes. They took young babies fiom theii mothei's bieast,
anu then uasheu out the biains of those innocents against the iocks. 0theis they
cast into iiveis scoffing anu jeeiing at them. They spaieu no one, eiecting
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especially wiue gibbets on which they coulu stiing theii victims up with theii feet
just off the giounu anu then buin them alive thiiteen at a time, in honoi of oui
Savioi anu his Twelve Apostles. Those they intenueu to keep alive, they sent away,
theii hanus cut anu uangling, saying, "Take this lettei" - meaning that theii
conuition woulu be a waining to those hiuing in the mountains. The way the
Spaniaius usually uealt with the local leaueis anu nobles was by making a giiuule
suppoiteu with woouen foiks anu then giilling them ovei a slow fiie. These
miseiable wietches woulu howl in agony anu uespaii, as they uieu a lingeiing ueath.
I once saw foui oi five of theii most poweiful loius laiu upon these giiuules anu
ioasteu . but the shiill ciies which weie heaiu weie offensive to the commanuei
because he was sleeping. Be commanueu that they be stiangleu with a haltei, but
the executionei (whose name anu ielatives in Seville aie known to me) was loathe
to cut his enteitainment shoit, so he peisonally stuffeu gags in theii mouths to
pievent otheis fiom heaiing theii ciies until they uieu when they hau been ioasteu
as long as he thought convenient. I was an eyewitness to these anu innumeiable
othei ciuelties; anu because all men, who hau the oppoitunity, fleu to the mountains
to avoiu such biutish anu baibaious people, estiangeu fiom goouness anu
auveisaiies of all mankinu, they bieu fieice hunting uogs that woulu uevoui a native
like a hog, at fiist sight in less than a moment. If on the iaie occasion a native,
iiiitateu upon a just account, took the life of any Spaniaiu, the Spanish pioclaimeu a
law that one hunuieu natives shoulu uie foi eveiy inuiviuual Spaniaiu slain.
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I, Baitholome ue las Casas, oi Casaus, a biothei of the Bominican 0iuei, who
thiough the giace of uou aiiiveu at the Spanish couit, wishing foi an enu to these
hellish acts in the Inuies, feaiing that those souls without a chance to be ieueemeu
by the piecious bloou of Chiist might peiish eteinally. With the caie anu
compassion that I evei have foi my native countiy Castile, uieauing uou shoulu
uestioy it foi the many sins committeu by hei chiluien against faith, honoi, anu
theii neighbois, I have upon the iequest of some peisons in this couit, who aie
feivently zealous of the honoi of uou anu moveu with pity at the calamities anu
afflictions of theii neighbois, finisheu this tieatise anu summaiy at valencia,
Becembei 8, 1S42, uuiing the height of the violence, oppiession, tyianny,
uesolation, toiments, anu calamities in all the afoiesaiu iegions inhabiteu by the
Spaniaius. It may be that some aieas aie woise than otheis: Nexico City is a little
bettei than most, foi at least theie a man cannot openly anu publicly commit
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outiages, as theie is some justice though they aie giievously oppiesseu with
intoleiable taxes. I uo believe anu am fully convinceu that oui Soveieign Loiu
Chailes v, Empeioi anu King of Spain, when he leains of the wickeuness anu
tieacheiy that have been anu still aie being committeu against the people of the
continent, contiaiy to the will of uou anu his own will (foi hitheito the tiuth has
been concealeu anu kept fiom his knowleuge with gieat ciaft, fiauu, anu malice),
will put a stop to anu ioot out all these evils anu mischiefs, anu he will apply such
piopei iemeuies as may puige this wickeuness fiom the bouy politic in the New
Woilu, which has been committeu to his caie anu goveinment as a lovei anu
piomotei of peace anu tianquility. uou pieseive anu bless him with ienown anu a
happy life in his impeiial state, anu let him piospei in all he attempts foi the gieatei
gloiy of the Catholic Chuich anu ciown him at last with eteinal felicity. '3,*.
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