The Requirement.

Upon arriving on the lands they wished to colonize and claim in the name of the monarchy and in God's name, explorers from Spain and other countries, beginning with Christopher Columbus, were compelled to read aloud the king's summons to the Indians, the Requierimento, or Requirement. In essence this was the explorers' way of taking possession of land for the Spanish monarchy and inform the natives of the truth of Christianity. This example was presented by Gov. Panfilo de Narvaez: "On behalf of the Catholic Caesarian Majesty of Don Carlos . . . I . . . notify and cause you to know in the best manner that I can, that God our Lord . . . created the heaven and earth. . . . because of the infinity of offspring that followed in the five thousand years and more since the world was created, it has become necessary that...