Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest [Paperback]

According to historical consensus, the Spanish conquest of the New World was a cataclysm in which superior European technology and organization overwhelmed Native American civilizations. In this daring revisionist critique, Penn State historian Restall describes a far more complex process in which Indians were central participants on both sides of the struggle. Far from regarding the Spaniards as gods, Restall argues, Indians offered a variety of shrewd, pragmatic responses to the invaders while advancing their own political agendas. Indeed, given that the conquistadors were vastly outnumbered by their Indian allies, the Conquest was in many respects a civil war between natives. Nor did Indian societies fall apart at one blow: independent Mayan polities, for example, persisted into the 19th century. Even under Spanish rule, Indians continued to live in self-governing communities, where they maintained their own languages, cultures and leaders who had considerable clout with the colonial administration. Drawing on Spanish, Native American and West African accounts of the Conquest, academic studies and even Hollywood movies, Restall examines the paradigm of European triumph and Indian "desolation" as it evolved from the conquistador's self-serving narratives to contemporary interpretations by such writers as Jared Diamond and Kirkpatrick Sale. Rejecting the implicit juxtaposition of "subhuman" Indians with "superhuman" Europeans, Restall asserts instead that, through war and epidemic, native societies retained much of their autonomy and cohesion, and "turned calamity into opportunity." Restall's provocative analysis, wide-ranging scholarship and lucid prose make this a stimulating contribution to the debate on one of history's great watersheds. Photos.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"This is an important book. It should be read by all high school world history teachers, and by professors of the same....a powerful indictment of the myths that we all inadvertently rely on to explain a complex and distant period. It will undoubtedly stir up a discussion about the reality of these myths and what others might find in both popular and scholarly writing in this field, and others." --American Historical Review

"A daring revisionist critique.... Restall's provocative analysis, wide-ranging scholarship and lucid prose make this a stimulating contribution to the debate on one of history's great watersheds."--Publishers Weekly

"Restall's compelling and revisionist presentation ultimately demostrates that from the beginning of the Spanish Conquest, the way of life that has evolved in the Americas was shaped in concert by diverse peoples of European, Native American, and African descent. This multidisciplinary work is recommended for all academic libraries and larger public libraries."--Library Journal

"Matthew Restall is one of the leading pioneers of a new approach to the history of European colonization in the Americas, re-integrating indigenous perspectives and exploiting indigenous sources. The conquest of Mexico puzzled even participants in it and generated legends which have continued to hold historians spellbound: Restall subjects them to re-examination with a ferociously critical intellect, a historically disciplined imagination, and exceptional command of the sources. By unpicking the myths, Restall makes possible, for the first time, a believable reconstruction of what really happened."--Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

"Those wanting a politically correct approach can do no better than to turn to Matthew Restall's brief, provocative, original and readable Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest; an able, revisionist study that displays an admirable command of the wealth of source material written not only by Spaniards but also by indiginous peoples throughout the colonial period.... Restall does not merely juxtapose what to some might seem 'false' and 'accurate' interpretations of the past."--Times Literary Supplement

"Restall's simple prose is deceptive because he confronts and overturns hoary myths of some of the most controversial and complex aspects of the conquest of Spanish America. Based on a deep knowledge of the Spanish and indigenous sources, he clearly shows how the myths of Spanish prowess and Indian inabilities were created, and why and how they have been perpetuated. This is revisionism at its best." --Stuart B. Schwartz, Yale University

"This is a work of clear significance for the understanding not just of the Conquest itself, but also the means by which we have mythologized it. Restall displays both wit and erudition as he reveals the invention and persistence of some key images of the conquistadores. Seven Myths is a scholarly yet accessible text that should be required reading for any course that touches upon colonial conquests and the culture of the Americas."--Neil L. Whitehead, University of Wisconsin-Madison