Las Casas, the Author
Disillusioned, Las Casas exited the world stage by entering the Dominican monastery of Santa Cruz in 1522. Here, he took the vows necessary to become a Dominican friar and devoted himself to serious study of scripture and theology. Also, Las Casas began to write letters and publish treatises reminding Europeans of the hardships being faced by the Amerindians. While cloistered away, Las Casas began to produce evocative accounts of the horrific situations he encountered in Cuba and Hispaniola. Proving the pen is mightier than the sword, his writing startled millions of Europeans, who saw the Spanish as greedy warmongers bent on destruction. In 1552, Las Casas published his Brief History of the Destruction of the Indies. This visceral account of the torture and plight of the Indians captured the attention of all of Europe and exposed the cruelty of the Spaniard Conquistador. It helped to garner an international reputation, known as the Black Legend, that brought awareness to the severity of the situation in the Indies. Furthermore, Spain’s rivals (including Protestants) began to disseminate this portrayal of the Spanish as a means of damaging Spain’s appearance on the world stage.