Histories of Infamy (Electronic book text)

In Histories of Infamy, Cristiin Roa-de-la-Carrera explores Francisco Lpez de Gmara'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, Gmara's Historia general de las Indias y Conquista de M(r)xico rationalized the conquistadors' crimes as unavoidable evils in the task of bringing civilization to the New World. Through an elaborate defense of Spanish imperialism, Gmara 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, Gmara'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."