The Spanish Struggle for Justice in the Conquest of America

Lewis Hanke’s seminal work is the first significant English-language discussion of the legitimacy of conquest—an issue currently debated in the context of alleged economic and cultural hegemony. First published in 1949, Hanke’s book remains a landmark in the historiography of the Americas, the point of departure for both historians and legal academics studying early Native American-European encounters and their implications. Hanke’s colorful prose introduces not only Bartolomé de Las Casas, but other heroes and villains of the Spanish national debate over the political, legal, and moral legitimacy of conquest. This new edition features a previously unpublished personal and professional reminiscence by the author and an introduction by Susan Scafidi and Peter Bakewell.