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Bartolomew de Las Casas was born in Seville, Spain, in 1474. In 1502 he went to Cuba, and for his military services there was given an Encomienda, which is an estate that included the services of the Indians living on it. In 1513, he was ordained priest, and in 1514 he renounced all claim on his Indian serfs. Bartholomew made a total of several voyages in seven years to Spain to find support for a series of new towns.In 1523, he became a Dominican friar, and he also disappeared for a time from public problems.In 1547 he returned to Spain, where he devoted the rest of his life to speaking and writing on behalf of the Indians. Bartholomew died on July 17th,1566 in Madrid, Spain.