Conquests

What does “conquest” mean? How does it take place, and how is it experienced by both the invaders and the invaded? Drawing upon both primary and secondary sources, this seminar explores how conquest shaped the region we now know as Spanish America. We will begin with the great pre-Columbian empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and then turn to Spanish expeditions in the sixteenth century. The course will encompass specific moments of encounter (such as the Spanish capture of the Inca emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca), as well as the broader implications of forging a new political and social order. P