The Correct Birthdate of Bartolomé de las Casas

A revision of Las Casas' biography appropriately begins with the correct date of his birth.1 In 1974, the world celebrated the supposed fifth centennial of that event, with congresses and special meetings in Spain, Mexico, France, and elsewhere, and speakers from as far away as Japan. Yet a number of scholars were already aware that the traditionally accepted date of 1474 lacked any solid foundation, and was in fact open to serious question. Now at last the records of a lawsuit, preserved in the Archives of the Indies in Seville, have yielded the first known document that establishes the true year of birth of tlhis great humanitarian; by conmbining this with other information not previously studied, it is further possible to determine the month and day with virtual certainty. Bartolome de las Casas was born almost a decade later than has been believed-definitely in 1484 or 1485, and most probably on November 11, 1484. The crucial document is presented here with an introduction explaining the centuries-old error, the seeming conflicts in data available till now, the conclusive new evidence, and the implications of the correct birthdate for the life of Las Casas

Art · Biology · Historical Art and Architecture Studies · Latin American history and culture · Libraries, Manuscripts, and Books