The Involvement of Las Casas in the African Slave Trade
At this point, Las Casas considered another strategy. Though he is affectionately remembered for his enthusiastic defense of the Indians, he is also well-known for his contributions to extending the African slave trade westward. By the year 1516, Las Casas began to advocate for the importation of African slaves to compensate for the decreasing Indians population. Though this might be surprising, it must be remembered that Las Casas was concerned with alleviating the tremendous pressure on the Indians, whose population was rapidly declining. Las Casas understood if alternate laborers were not brought in, the Indians would soon be wiped out. He could not have known the generational affects this would have on the imported Africans. His appeal was simply to supplement the exhausted Indians with additional laborers. Yet, African slavery proved to be much more lucrative than the encomienda had ever been and subsequently exploded in the Americas. No matter how many Africans died while working the plantations, ships packed with new slaves for sale continually arrived from the west coast of Africa. Unlike the Indians, they could be readily replaced. Additionally, Las Casas did not expect slavery to expand like it did. Indeed, African slavery spread all through the Americas, becoming an important stake in the European economy. Las Casas grew to realize, and regret, the gravity of his error. His appeals had set in motion a monster that would not be slain for another 300 years and the establishment of an African slave trade in the Caribbean did little to improve conditions for the Amerindians. Yet, in spite of his mistakes and failed attempts, his compassion for the Tainos never grew cold, and his struggle continued.