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Questions 13–16 refer to the following excerpt: "...We [the Church] grant to ...

Oct 5, 2023

Questions 13–16 refer to the following excerpt: "...We [the Church] grant to you [Kings of Spain and Portugal] by these present documents, with our Apostolic Authority, full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ wherever they may be, as well as their kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, and other property [...] and to reduce their persons into perpetual servitude." —The Doctrine of Discovery, 1493 Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of The Doctrine of Discovery? A To promote trade and commerce between European nations and indigenous peoples. B To ensure that European nations would not engage in conflicts over newly discovered lands. C To provide religious justification for European monarchs to claim territories in the Americas. D To establish diplomatic relations between the Catholic Church and indigenous religious leaders.

Key Concept

KC-1.2.II The arrival of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere in the 15th and 16th centuries triggered extensive demographic and social changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

Explanation

The Doctrine of Discovery was a series of papal bulls, or decrees, that gave Christian explorers the right to claim lands they discovered and lay claim to those territories for their Christian Monarchs. This doctrine was primarily a religious document that provided a moral and legal justification for the colonization and seizure of land not inhabited by Christians. It was used to justify the enslavement and genocide of the Americas' indigenous peoples.

What is the Doctrine of Discovery?, What impact did the Doctrine of Discovery have on indigenous peoples?, How did the Doctrine of Discovery influence European colonization?