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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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