The Hispanic heritage timeline from 1492 to 2020 evolved with Christopher Columbus and his famous discovery of America in 1492. The voyage for Columbus was sponsored by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand and the Royal Crown of Old Castile, present-day Spain. The voyage was done under the theory of Columbus that the world was round and not flat. Columbus sailed west to reach the East Indies to buy spices for the Royal Crown. Columbus did not find a short route to the East Indies by sailing west but found America for the Royal Crown of Old Castile. America had vast lands rich in gold, silver, and precious stones and large River Valleys. It was the ideal land for a new province to the Royal Crown of Old Castile. America was indeed claimed by the Royal Crown of Old Castile in 1492. At the time, it was not known that it was not just America but also the Americas--South, Central, and North America. So it was the Royal Crown of Old Castile that claimed the Americas, making a major impact on the rest of world. The Royal Crown sent the most trustworthy citizens to the New World, as it was known then, to explore, settle, and improve the new land. In essence, it was those of Hispanic heritage who explored, settled, and improved the Americas. The first settlers in present-day Texas, USA, and present-day USA were Hispanics. Without the Royal Crown of Spain and Hispanic heritage, Texas and the USA would have had a different status in the world of today. In essence versus consequences, the Hispanic heritage was the prelude to Texas, USA, and the USA regardless of how the belief has been for centuries. The Hispanic heritage, forever it will be.

"The 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America has given rise to a host of celebrations and events in both Europe and America. At the same time, an increasing outcry is being heard from the native Americans who have borne the brunt of five hundred years of Christian "civilization."" "The Church in Latin America has been involved in both the process of conquest and the process of resistance to an extent unmatched on any other continent. The debates initiated by Bartolome de Las Casas about the dignity and personhood of the Indians are as relevant today as they were in the sixteenth century. As Enrique Dussel writes in his General Introduction: "Every historical event is unrepeatable, unique ... Every account supposes an 'interpretation,' whether conscious or not, willed or involuntary. So every history of the Church supposes a certain way of handling essential facts ... In Latin America we are trying to produce a history of the Church on the basis of a particular experience we have of the institutional community founded by Jesus Christ." The mission of the Church is essentially that of its founder: "to bring good news to the poor," and this is a basic criterion of the contributors to this volume." "Produced under the aegis of CEHILA, the Commission for the Study of Church History in Latin America, this work draws on the experience of many of the contributors in their research for CEHILA's eleven-volume General History of the Church in Latin America, in the process of publication in Spanish. This volume is designed to be read by those with little or no knowledge of this fascinating, often appalling, often inspiring, chapter of church history." "This is scientific history, written by leading scholars from all areas of Latin America. But it is also history "from the underside of history." Without distorting events, it presents the story of the conquered peoples and the increasingly impoverished majorities." "The first of three parts provides a chronological survey on a continent-wide scale: the second a regional survey; the third covers some special subjects. The volume concludes with a comprehensive account of sources and bibliography which will prove invaluable to students for years to come."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved