Episode 15 - The New Laws

Seeing that the situation of the indigenous population continued to deteriorate despite the Laws of Burgos, Friar Bartolomé de las Casas implored the new king, Charles, to intervene and put an end to the abuses before they wiped out the indigenous population. Driven by this impulse, and perhaps some less noble motives, the New Laws of the Indies were promulgated to limit the exploitation of indigenous peoples and allow them to live with greater freedom.

If you want more information on the topic, please see the main references for the episode below:

• Excerpts from a Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies: https://web.as.uky.edu/history/faculty/myrup/his208/Casas,%20Bartolome%20de%20las%20-%20Short%20Account%20(1992,%20excerpts).pdf
• Las Leyes Nuevas -1542: https://lahigueramagica.com/las-leyes-nuevas-1542/
• Laws and ordinances newly enacted by His Majesty for the government of the Indies and the good treatment and preservation of the Indians:https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112204863734&seq=133

• ¿Por qué se decretaron las Leyes Nuevas de 1542? Nuevas luces sobre conquistadores peruleros, mujeres palaciegas y Bartolomé de las Casas en las reformas de Indias: https://revistadeindias.revistas.csic.es/index.php/revistadeindias/article/view/1559/1919

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The image for this episode is a 16th-century painting of Bartolomé de las Casas.