Histories of Infamy

Francisco López de Gómara and the Ethics of Spanish Imperialism

Cristián A Roa-de-la-Carrera author Scott Sessions translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University Press of Colorado

Published:15th Aug '12

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Histories of Infamy cover

Cristian Roa-de-la-Carrera explores Francisco Lopez de Gomara's (1511-ca.1559) attempt to ethically reconcile Spain's civilizing mission with the conquistadors' abuse and exploitation of Native peoples. The most widely read account of the conquest in its time, Gomara's Historia general de las Indias y Conquista de Mexico rationalized the conquistadors' crimes as unavoidable evils in the task of bringing "civilisation" to the New World. Through an elaborate defence of Spanish imperialism, Gomara aimed to convince his readers of the merits of the conquest, regardless of the devastation it had wrought upon Spain's new subjects. Despite his efforts, Gomara's apologist text quickly fell into disrepute and became ammunition for Spain's critics. Evaluating the effectiveness of ideologies of colonization, Roa-de-la-Carrera's analysis will appeal to scholars in colonial studies and readers interested in the history of the Americas.

ISBN: 9781607321859

Dimensions: 229mm x 153mm x 20mm

Weight: 463g

272 pages