Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest

Calling the Spanish expeditions “Conquest of Peru” or “Conquest of Mexico” imply that Spanish triumphs were destiny: “Conquest history turns on symbolic Spanish accomplishments” (64). These conquests likewise serve as historic turning points that move the Americas away from incivility and into the colonial era, thus perpetuating Eurocentric stereotypes about “civilization” and superiority. Conquistadors perpetuated this triumphal perspective in their writings, in which they “prematurely anticipated the completion of Conquest campaigns and imbued Conquest chronicles with an air of inevitability” (65). This myth is one of completion.

Though the Spanish crown did not directly control these expeditions, they did bestow titles and sold contracts to conquistadors who funded their own missions. Therefore, conquistadors might face imprisonment if they failed to meet the monarchy’s definition of success. This contractual relationship encouraged mythmaking because conquistadors embellished their accomplishments to garner royal favor. For instance, conquistador Francisco de Montejo sought royal approval for his expedition to Yucatán. His request follows a formulaic pattern in which he assures the king the area is worth colonizing because of its resources, and embellishes the extent to which the Spanish already control the area. Cortés’s letter to the crown, written a decade prior, similarly celebrates his subjugation of a large area of the coast.