The arrival of Europeans in the Americas (appropriately described as invasion and conquest) is one of the founding moments of modernity: the first time two completely unrelated cultural worlds met. A range of social and economic injustices, including racism and international economic inequality, as well as the noblest utopian aspirations, can all be traced to this foundational (mis)encounter between (Native) Americans and Europeans. We read texts by indigenous authors, as well as conquistadors; historical and theoretical overviews; and film and fiction. Authors may include Hernán Cortés, Guamán Poma de Ayala, the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega,Pablo Neruda,Terrence Malick, and Lauren Binet.