The Argument for "Conquest"
Proponents of this view often cite the Right of Conquest, a principle in traditional international law that recognizes the transfer of sovereignty over territory by force of arms. They argue:
Historical Normativity: Every major civilization (including Indigenous empires like the Aztecs or Comanches) expanded through warfare.
Legal Continuity: Treaties and boundaries were often settled through conflict, creating the legal foundations of modern nation-states.
The Argument for "Theft"
Critics and Indigenous scholars argue that "conquest" is a euphemism for a process that lacked legal or moral legitimacy.
The Doctrine of Discovery: This 15th-century papal decree claimed that "heathen" lands could be claimed by Christian monarchs, essentially codifying a "legal" theft based on religious discrimination.
Broken Treaties: Much of the land was not won on a battlefield but through violated legal agreements and coerced cessions.
Justifying Atrocities: The Moral Cost of "Winning"
How can one justify the mass death and cultural erasure associated with colonization? Often, the justification relies on Social Darwinism—the belief that "might makes right."
By asserting that Europeans "won," proponents often imply that the outcome was a testament to cultural or technological superiority. This logic is a cornerstone of White Supremacy, as it suggests that the survival of the European model at the expense of others was a "natural" and "deserved" outcome.
"The history of the world is the history of the privileged. The winners write the history books, and the losers are relegated to footnotes or, worse, seen as obstacles to progress." — Decolonizing Methodologies (Linda Tuhiwai Smith).
Deep Dive: Media and Scholarship
To better understand the complexities of this history and the ideologies behind it, consider the following resources:
📚 Books
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King: A critical, often witty look at the narrative of "discovery" and "conquest" in North America.
Link An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: Challenges the founding myths of the U.S. and reframes the narrative around settler-colonialism.
Link Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond: While controversial, it explores the environmental factors that led to European technological advantages without relying on "superiority" myths.
🎬 Films & Documentaries
Exterminate All the Brutes (HBO): A documentary series by Raoul Peck that deconstructs the notions of white supremacy and the "civilizing mission."
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (HBO): A film depicting the systematic displacement and violence against Native Americans during the late 19th century.
📰 Articles
The Atlantic:
The New Reconstruction of American History The Guardian:
Why we need to talk about the British Empire
Final Reflection
The image of an anime-style pioneer shooting an Indigenous leader captures the "gamification" of history. It turns a tragedy into a "score" where one side won and the other lost. However, modern ethics suggest that "winning" a war does not grant a moral right to the humanity of the "vanquished."
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"Conquered" is literally just "stolen" but you wanna make genocide and slavery sound badass instead of evil. https://t.co/ARbF5syHhj
— 🦝⨂trash panda 🔻🏳️⚧️ (@TrashPandaGirl) February 26, 2026
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