Doctrine of Discovery

The Catholic church is rightly being vilified for inventing the doctrine of discovery - but none of the world's great powers can afford to smirk. All - including Britain and the USA - happily endorsed the idea, declared it to be international law and claimed it justified their seizure & rampaging colonisation of foreign lands & indigenous peoples.

I can't see what effect 'revoking' it would have except as a symbolic gesture. Maybe could be an attempt to de-'legitimize' future transgressions but I wouldn't count on it.

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markansas

The discovery doctrine, also called doctrine of discovery, is a concept of public international law that was promulgated by the Catholic Church and European monarchies in order to legitimize the colonization and evangelization of lands outside Europe. YA AND US HERE IN AMERICA DID..
Manifest Destiny, a phrase coined in 1845, is the idea that the United States is destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent.
THIS WAS A CRIME ALSO. TAX THE CHURCH it is not a force for good.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@markansas And then came the Cold War, and we expanded that Manifest Destiny into Pax Americana, spanning the globe.