Seven Myths of Spanish Conquest (by Matthew Restall)

The Spanish Conquest was what began as an exploration by Spanish Voyagers seeking a shorter route to the Far East. The exploration led to the discovery of America in 1492 and its subsequent colonization. The Spanish Empire’s Conquest of the Americas lasted from the 16^th century to the early 19^th century. Seven Myths have been used to portray the ease of the Conquest. These Myths include the use of ‘Great Men,’ Great King Soldiers, the use of Conquistadors, Testimonials, rapidity of the Conquest, (mis)conceptions, the civilization of the natives, and the superiority of the conquerors.

First Myth

The first myth used to defend the ease of the Spanish Conquest was the use of ‘Great Men’ to discover the Americas. These purported ‘Great Men’ were just seafarers and adventurers exploring a shorter route to the Far East but discovering a new land unknown to the Europeans then. These men were led by an ambitious Admiral of the Spanish Navy known as Hernan Corte. Their discovery of the Americas though purely through luck is used to portray a brave, knowledgeable seafaring Spanish Navy.

Second myth

After discovering the Americas, the Spanish began the Conquest of the local native Indians and colonization of their lands. This myth is shrouded in the myth that the conquerors (Conquistadors) were great soldiers of the King of Spain that used superior military weapons and tactics over the natives. In reality, the purported ‘conquistadors’ were a mixed bunch of men looking for fortunes in farming, trade, or mining. Others were looking for material rewards that included bigger titles, offices, and pensions from the Spanish King for helping expand his Empire.

The Third Myth

This myth revolves around biased first-hand accounts of the conquistadors. Here they seek to portray themselves as heroes of the Spanish Conquest. Men like Hernan Corte wish to go down in history as visionary men without whose hindsight the Conquest of the Americas and the subsequent establishment of the Empire could not have been possible. The truth later emerged that they were merely lucky opportunists at the right place and time.

The Fourth Myth

The Spanish Conquistadors tried to deceive history by hoodwinking people into

thinking that the Conquest was a walk in the park. History has revealed a protracted war fought by the Spaniards and the local natives. The Spaniards managed to swing the tide of the war by enlisting the help of some Indian natives and the formerly enslaved people from West Africa.

The Fifth Myth

The use of (mis)communication is a powerful tool used by the Spanish Conquest to deceive people about how rapid their Conquest of the Americas was. It was done through the notion that the Conquistadors could enter into treaties with the local natives, but the truth was that the natives – a proud race viciously fought for every inch of their land. In some areas, the Conquest failed dismally to colonize the local natives until the end of their rule. The Spanish Conquerors termed such areas ‘savage territories.’

The Sixth Myth

In the eyes of the Conquerers, the local natives were savages and pagans that worshipped idols and practiced rituals that included human sacrifice. The natives were deemed to be in dire need of a new religion ( Christianity). The conquerors established churches by the Friars of the Order of the Franciscans in 1529 to impart a foreign religion to the natives. The conquerors used the fear of a ‘vengeful’ God to quell the war-like Indian tribes and make them governable.

The Seventh Myth

The final myth of the Spanish Conquest was the introduction of European culture to the local natives. This new culture was propagated as a ‘superior’ and that of the natives ‘inferior.’ The local natives were supposed to be awed by the conquerors’ new way of civilized living and adapt to a new language, form of government, lifestyle, clothing, religion, and education.

Conclusion

The Spanish Conquest was the colonization of North and South America by the Spaniards that led to the establishment of the Spanish Empire between the 16^th and 19^th centuries. The Conquest is shrouded in various myths that portray the Spaniards as ‘invincibles’ and mighty warriors able to conquer and rule an entire continent. These myths are shrouded in many mysteries. However, historical facts later came to discredit these myths and show that outside factors that favored them made the Spanish Conquest possible. For example, the discovery of the Americas was purely through luck, and the native Indians, though with a population of millions, were fragmented into tribes. These tribes were, in most cases, at war with each other, thus making it easy for the Spaniards to conquer them.

References

Restall, M. (2004). Seven myths of the Spanish Conquest. Oxford University Press.