Conquistador in Chains

A fascinating account of a Spanish conquistador who attempted to rule in South America with respect for justice and law for indigenous peoples but was returned to Spain in chains

Unlike many Spanish conquistadores who brought to the Americas a wave of disease, destruction, and oppression, Cabeza de Vaca’s stated intention was to pursue a different kind of conquest—one that would be just and humane, true to Spanish religion and law, and one that safeguarded liberty and justice for the indigenous peoples of the New World.

Bringing to South America skills and experiences earned with native peoples in North America, however, Cabeza de Vaca both failed to understand the indigenous peoples in the south and alienated many Spanish settlers in the Rio de la Plata Province, whose economic interests he threatened. Eventually the Spanish colonists formed a conspiracy to remove him from power and return him to Spain in chains.

That Cabeza de Vaca was overthrown is not surprising. His ideas and policies opposed the self-interest of most of the first Spaniards who had come to America, although he inspired the support of many even after his humiliating return to Spain. In Conquistador in Spain, historian David Howard provides a fascinating account of the rise and fall of this colonial idealist.