Question

“On behalf of the king and queen of Spain, we notify you that the pope has donated to them these islands and lands and all who have received this notice should receive and serve their Highnesses as subjects ought to do. We ask that you acknowledge the Church and the pope as the ruler of the whole world. We ask further that you acknowledge that the king and queen of Spain shall rule as lords and kings of these islands and lands by virtue of the pope’s donation. If you obey your king and queen, you will do well and we shall receive you with all love and charity and shall leave you, your wives, your children, and your lands free without servitude. But, if you do not obey, we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make war against you and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and the king and queen of Spain. We shall take you, your wives, and your children and make all of you slaves and we shall take away your goods. We assert that the deaths and losses that would accrue from this are your fault, and not that of their Highnesses, or ours, nor of these soldiers who come with us.” “The Demand” (Requerimiento), document issued by the Spanish royal council of Castile in 1510. Spanish conquistadors were legally required to read the document aloud to indigenous Americans before taking their land. Question In your response, be sure to address all parts of the question. Use complete sentences; an outline or bulleted list alone is not acceptable. Use the passage to answer all parts of the question that follows. a) Describe ONE way in which the document reflects the specific historical situation of Spain’s maritime exploration and colonization in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. b) Explain ONE political development in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries that would likely explain why the king and queen of Spain highlighted the donation mentioned in the first and second paragraphs. c) Explain ONE instance in which the Spanish resorted to the type of actions t

Answer 1

The document reflects Spain's colonial context by relying on the papal donation, legitimizing territorial claims during the competitive Age of Exploration. It aligns with the Doctrine of Discovery.

a) The document reflects Spain's maritime exploration and colonization context by invoking the papal donation, a response to the intense competition among European powers during the Age of Exploration. As Spain sought to secure overseas territories, the Pope's endorsement was crucial for legitimizing their claims. The document underscores the legal and moral authority derived from the papal donation, aligning with the broader European practice of using religious justifications to validate territorial expansion.

b) The highlighted papal donation aligns with the Doctrine of Discovery, a political development of the time. This doctrine asserted Christian nations' rights to non-Christian lands, providing a legal foundation for European powers to claim newly discovered territories. By emphasizing the papal donation, the Spanish monarchy sought to bolster their legitimacy under this doctrine, reinforcing their right to rule over the lands in question.

c) The actions described in the document parallel the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, particularly Hernán Cortés' campaigns in the early 16th century. Cortés, driven by imperial ambitions, engaged in warfare, subjugation, and the enslavement of indigenous populations, exemplifying the forceful tactics outlined in "The Demand."