Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“
Another Face of Empire incontrovertibly adds to general understanding of Bartolomé de Las Casas. Daniel Castro persuasively argues that Las Casas contributed substantially to the establishment of Spanish imperial hegemony in the Americas in the first century after the conquests.”—Franklin W. Knight, editor of Bartolomé de Las Casas’s
An Account, Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies“Father Las Casas offered what all empires need: a sense of their own moral legitimacy. This book forthrightly unmasks the imperial gift-giver. It should be read by all colonialists and those who study human rights issues.”—Colin M. MacLachlan, John Christie Barr Distinguished Professor of History, Tulane University
“[H]istorians of Latin America will find Castro’s work to be a significant contribution to the field of postcolonial studies of the Spanish Empire. Castro’s capable revisionist brush provides insight into the ways in which the life of one man can mean so much to so many people for so many reasons.” -- Michael Pasquier * Interventions *
“Daniel Castro deserves praise for the clarity and freshness of his insights on Las Casas in this book. He points out and eliminates much of the tendentiousness that so often typifies writings about the great Franciscan and thereby composes a highly useful book.” -- John E. Kicza * Renaissance Quarterly *
“This is an important contribution to the literature on Las Casas. It removes the halo and sees the man within the context of his time, and looks into the motivations for his actions and positions. It simply is one of the most refreshing analyses of Las Casas to have appeared in quite some time.” -- John F. Schwaller * Bulletin of Latin American Research *
Table of ContentsAbout the Series ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: Bartolomé de Las Casas, Savior of Indoamerica? 1
1. Defining and Possessing 17
2. American Crucible 40
3. Conversions, Utopias, and Ecclesiastical Imperialism 63
4. Theory and Praxis 105
5. Toward a Restoration of the Indies 135
6. The Legacy of Las Casas 150
Conclusion 177
Notes 187
Bibliography 215
Index 229
