Bartolomé de las Casas was a Spanish Dominican friar and historian born in 1484. He is best known for advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Americas during the early colonial period. Initially, he benefited from the encomienda system, which granted Spanish settlers control over Indigenous labor, but he later renounced this practice and became a vocal critic of Spanish colonial abuses. De las Casas wrote several works, including "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies," where he detailed the mistreatment of Indigenous populations by Spanish colonizers. His efforts contributed to the eventual reforms aimed at protecting Indigenous rights, influencing figures like King Charles I of Spain.