Territories of History

Territories of History, Volume 1, by Sarah H. Beckjord, offers a profound examination of the intellectual spirit within foundational Spanish American writing. This scholarly work of literary criticism explores how chroniclers such as Bartolomé de Las Casas and Bernal Díaz del Castillo engaged with the humanist tradition and their encounters with New World peoples. Beckjord analyzes how these authors navigated the complexities of distinguishing superstition from science, ultimately shifting their focus toward the nature of truth, rhetoric, and fiction in historical accounts.

This volume serves as a vital contribution to the study of Hispanic American history and Latin American literary criticism. By integrating early modern epistemology with modern narrative theory, Beckjord addresses the slippery nature of truth in colonial historiography. The text connects sixteenth-century debates to contemporary poststructuralist approaches, providing a sophisticated look at the intellectual legacy of the Americas. This book is a significant resource for those researching the history and literature of South America and the West Indies.