Michele Piercey Chemonics International

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...

The Doctrine of Discovery At the beginning of the Crusades in 1095, Pope Urban II issued the  Papal Bull Terra Nullius  - a decree explaining the policy of the Catholic Church about empty land. This decree gave European kings the right to "discover" and claim land in non-Christian areas. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V extended this policy through the  Papal Bill   Romanus Pontifex  that declared war against all non-Christians in the world and authorized the conquest of their nations and territories. These two decrees were based upon two beliefs: First, Christians were the only civilized peoples and thus, they had the right to treat non-Christians as uncivilized and subhuman who had no rights to any land or nation. Second, Christians had a God-given right to "capture, vanquish, and subdue the saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ," to "put them into perpetual slavery," and "to take all their possessions and property." ( http://ili.nativeweb.o...