What was the purpose of the Spanish Requirement?

The purpose of the Spanish Requirement was to inform indigenous people that they must agree to become subjects of the Spanish Crown and be open to conversion to Christianity or face violent consequences.

Who wrote the Spanish Requirement of 1513?

The 1513 Spanish Requirement was written by the jurist Juan López de Palacios Rubios.

Was the Spanish Requirement an effective document?

The Spanish Requirement was not usually effective since it was not always translated and contained incomprehensible and cultural-specific concepts that indigenous peoples did not understand. For these reasons, historians regard it as a tool to ease Spanish guilt over their conquest of the Americas and beyond.

Spanish Requirement

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Definition

The Spanish Requirement or Requerimiento was a document intended to be read out to and agreed upon by indigenous peoples during the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Created in 1513, the document outlined the history of Christianity, the superiority of the pope, and the obligation from this day onwards for all indigenous peoples to submit themselves to Spanish royal authority.

More about: Spanish Requirement

Timeline

1513
The jurist Juan López de Palacios Rubios is tasked with drafting the Spanish Requirement.
19 Jun 1513
The notary Rodrigo de Colmemares reads out the Spanish Requirement for the first time to indigenous people in Colombia.
15 Nov 1532
Hernando de Soto reads out the Spanish Requirement to the Inca ruler Atahualpa.