Origins
The New Laws were the results of a reform movement spurred by what was seen as the failure of the decades-old Leyes de Burgos (Laws of Burgos), issued by King Ferdinand II of Aragon on December 27, 1512. These laws were the first set of rules created to control relations between the Spaniards and the recently conquered indigenous people, but they appeared to have simply legalized the system of forced Indian labor. During the reign of King Charles V, the reformers gained strength, with Spanish missionary Bartolomé de las Casas as a notable leading advocate. His goal was the abolition of the encomienda system, which forced the Indians to abandon their previous lifestyle and homelands, and destroyed their culture and traditions. He was able to influence the King, and the fruit of the reformers' labor was the New Laws. His active role in the reform movement earned Bartolomé de las Casas the nickname, "Defender of the Indians".
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