The Doctrine of Discovery is a policy enacted initially by the 15th-century Catholic Church proclaiming the right of Christian nations to take possession of the lands of non-Christians in the interest of saving their souls. Non-Christians were not recognized as legitimate landowners, and any lands 'discovered' by Christian explorers were claimed as the property of the discoverers' nation.
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Definition
Timeline
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1452First appearance of the Doctrine of Discovery in the papal bull Dum Diversas legitimizing the appropriation of non-Christians' lands and their enslavement.
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1493Best-known articulation of the Doctrine of Discovery issued after Columbus' first expedition to the Americas.
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1792Thomas Jefferson invokes the Doctrine of Discovery in justifying the appropriation of Native American lands.
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1823The Doctrine of Discovery enters United States municipal law through the court case of Johnson v. McIntosh.
