King Phillip’s Concerns

Exploring the Early Americas The Jay I. Kislak Collection

Pre-Contact America | Explorations and Encounters | Aftermath of the Encounter

Languages and Religion | Competition for Empire | Documenting New Knowledge

King Phillip II (1527–1598).
Autograph letter to Archbishop Pedro de Contreras, December 2, 1578.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (105)

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After King Phillip II ascended the Spanish throne in 1556, he concerned himself with every detail of Spanish colonial life. In this letter to Archbishop Pedro de Contreras of Mexico City, he expresses anxiety about missionaries not learning the languages of their flocks, thus hindering the process of their conversion.