The fissures of the nation: tensions and political-religious readings on the conquest of America in the 18th century

Abstract

The conquest of the Americas generated a remarkable number of epic discourses of a political and literary nature; these contributed to the reinforcement of imperial, religious and patriotic commonplaces. Concerned about the country’s having a negative image abroad, the political and intellectual elites at the service of Charles III and Charles IV fomented a defence of the conquistadores, despite the diffusion of a tangible current within European public opinion that was critical of military heroism. Within the framework of Bourbon reformism, I reconstruct groups and individuals who, from very different places and positions, enabled the success of this preponderant discourse, which underlined the close collaboration between the crown and the clergy. In addition to emphasizing the lack of transparency with which the conquest was commemorated, especially in the hands of clergymen, priests and missionaries, I analyse how the consolidation of this patriotic discourse collided with other, alternative interpretations that cast doubt on it. These latter interpretations, driven by the notions of critique, civilization and Enlightenment sensitivity –from a mournful attitude, full of regrets and frustration– allow us to question the stability of discourses about the Americas from both inside and outside the empire.