Which conquistador felt bad for the Natives and suggested getting Africans to be laborers?CortesEricsonde las CasasBalboa

Breakdown the Problem

To answer the question, we need to identify the conquistador who advocated for the use of African laborers instead of Native Americans due to concerns for the welfare of the natives.

Relevant Concepts

1. Cortez: He was known for his conquest of the Aztec Empire, not focused on advocating for native welfare.
2. Ericson: This refers to Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer, not relevant to the context of Spanish conquest.
3. de las Casas: Bartolomé de las Casas was a Spanish Dominican friar who became an early advocate for the rights of the indigenous people.
4. Balboa: Vasco Núñez de Balboa was known for his exploration of the Americas but not for advocating for labor issues concerning natives.

Analysis and Detail

• Bartolomé de las Casas was initially granted land and indigenous people as laborers but later became critical of the mistreatment of the indigenous population. To address labor shortages, he famously suggested the importation of African slaves.

Verify and Summarize

Based on historical accounts, it is confirmed that de las Casas expressed regret for the harsh treatment of Native Americans and proposed African labor as an alternative.

Final Answer

The correct answer is de las Casas.