Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640 [Paperback]

Patricia Seed (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521497574 | ISBN-13: 978-0521497572 | Publication Date: October 27, 1995

This work of comparative history explores the array of ceremonies that the English, the Spanish, the French, the Portuguese and the Dutch performed to enact their taking possession of the New World. The book develops the historic cultural contexts of these ceremonies, and tackles the implications of these histories for contemporary nation-states of the post-colonial era.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Seed shows herself to be resourceful and creative, crafting a vessel capable of holding a heady swirl of disparate documentation within a cohesive whole." H-Net

"The provocative thesis of Ceremonies of Possession, based on research in a dazzling variety of sources and languages, will challenge scholars to fresh examination of colonial foundations. No one interested in the early modern period can afford to neglect this book." Karen Ordahl Kupperman, New York University

"Patricia Seed offers the most convincing alternative to a model of one-directional flow from Europe into the New World. Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640 examines the various strategies and ceremonies that the European colonizing powers used to confirm their control over New World possessions. She illustrates both the actions performed by, and the cultural histories that influenced 'ceremonies of possession' conducted by, the major colonizing nations--England, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands....Seed offers convincing cultural readings of the various ceremonies on which the distinct powers relied." William and Mary Quarterly

"The details of Seed's heroic research are fascinating and the delineation of cultural differences utterly convincing....[P]rovides a powerful perspective for linking the histories of early modern Europe and the newly colonized Americas as consisting of more than just the exchange of smallpox for syphilis or wheat for corn." Charles L. Cohen, Sixteenth Century Journal

"...her committment to comparative history will inspire others to follow in her footsteps. Her work is to be applauded." Richard C. Trexler, Journal of Social History

Book Description

Developing historical cultural contexts and tackling the implications for contemporary nation-states, this work explores the array of ceremonies that the Europeans (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Dutch) performed to enact their taking possession of the New World.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521497574
• ISBN-13: 978-0521497572
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > History > Historical Study > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Way to Look at New World, June 14, 2009

By 

Cornelia Handago "Serious Reader" (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640 (Paperback)

This was a very well researched and scholarly book. (Perhaps a thesis) A bit of an effort but an interesting review of the different European powers and their takeover of the new world. I had never thought about the English love of fences, the French love of acceptance, the Spanish love of ritual and the Portugeuse love of the technology of exploration in ways that reflected how they staked out their claims. It was a new level of perspective.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Way of Describing New World Imperialism, February 27, 2009

By 

Tracy Davis (California, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640 (Paperback)

Author Patricia Seed takes a unique approach to describing the 16th-17th C imperialism by the five major European powers in the New World (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Dutch). Rather than rehash the conquests of these powers, Seed discusses HOW these groups 'took possession' of the Americas. Each country saw their ritual or ceremony as the only valid way to establish control of an area. The English built a fence or planted a hedge on their 'plantations' to show ownership; the Spanish read a declaration of war (The Requirement), based on the Islamic principal of jihad (dervied from the Muslim occupation of Medieval Spain); the French relied on "conquest by love", a ceremony designed to show Native compliance with French rule; the Portuguese and Dutch used mathematical calculations and cartography to show how their "discoveries" of unknown areas established dominion.

Seed presents extensive documentation of her ideas; at times, one could argue, a little too much repetition of similar information to prove her point. Rather than a chronological narrative, the chapters don't seem to follow a straight line; for example, the first chapter deals with the English (rather late arrivals to the Americas, as opposed to the Spanish and Portuguese). Perhaps not a big deal, but the transitions from country to country were sometimes choppy. This is a good book for those already familiar with the basics of the European exploration and conquest of the Americas, and Seed makes some excellent connections between the Roman/Medieval world and the early modern world, specifically the ethnocentrism of each country and its 'right' to dominate others.