Reform in the
"New World"

Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas is known throughout history for his stand on the rights of native Americans. Shortly before leaving Spain in 1542 to take the bishopric in Chiapas, New Spain (Mexico), Las Casas penned this petition to King Charles I and the Spanish Council of the Indies. In it, he presented thirty points concerning how the clergy could reform the issues of slavery, death, and rampant disregard for native life. The Council responded to each point, which was annotated in the margins.