From the Pope’s Hand to Indigenous Lands: Alexander VI in Spanish Imperialism (Brill Research Perspectives in Law and Religion)

Was the Catholic Church responsible for European imperialism? Activists say yes, the Church says no. This book examines the key papal document from 1493. It finds that the Church played no role in English colonization. However, Pope Alexander VI may have intended to bless Spanish imperialism. Either way, over the next 150 years, Spain saw its empire as a gift from him. For many imperialists and many colonial subjects, Spain received its right to rule Indigenous lands straight from the Pope’s hand.

Matthew P. Cavedon, J.D., M.T.S. (2015), Emory University, is Robert Pool Fellow in Law and Religion at that university's Center for the Study of Law and Religion. His research interests include Catholic legal history and Spanish scholasticism.