From Rivalry to Propaganda
The phrase “Black Legend” refers to a cluster of narratives that painted the Spanish Empire as uniquely cruel, fanatical, and tyrannical. This essay examines how the Reformation, imperial rivalry, and a hunger for sensational tales converged to craft a durable mythos.
Bartolomé de las Casas and the Power of Testimony
Las Casas’ accounts of colonial abuses were weaponized by Spain’s rivals. Rather than dismissing him, historians can read his work critically—recognizing both the atrocities he chronicled and the polemical uses that followed.