AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: The Valladolid Debates (Day 16/309)

Welcome to day 16 of APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Today I will be explaining the Valladolid Debates.

Bartolomé de Las Casas Wikimedia Commons

As the Spanish Empire grew, the enslavement of and violence toward American Indians began to garner increased criticism. Bartolomé de Las Casas, a conquistador turned priest, became one of the loudest critics against the Spanish treatment of indigenous peoples.

Brevisima relación de la destrucción de las Indias Wikimedia Commons

His publication, A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, documented the atrocities against American Indians and condemned the Spanish for their greediness and inhumane treatment.

Valladolid Debate Medium.com

In 1550-1551, Las Casas participated in a series of debates, the Valladolid Debates, with Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, a Spanish philosopher and theologian. While Las Casas argued that American Indians deserved to be treated with respect and dignity, de Sepúlveda justified their enslavement based on their inferior racial heritage and religious unconsciousness. 

Discussions, such as the Valladolid Debates, did eventually lead to the abolition of the encomienda system, but unfortunately led to the increase of the transatlantic slave trade.

Join me tomorrow as we head to APUSH Period 2 with French and Dutch Colonization in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!