Obedience Quote by David E. Stannard
““I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of Their Highnesses. We shall take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as Their Highnesses may command. And we shall take your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey and refuse to receive their lord and resist and contradict him.””
About This Quote
A declaration of violent colonization framed as divine mandate, promising conquest, subjugation, and exploitation of a people and their resources.
In simple terms: Colonial conquest justified by religion.
Key Takeaway
Colonialism uses religious rhetoric to legitimize oppression.
Themes
colonialism
religion
violence
exploitation
power
Mood
grim
ominous
authoritative
Type
political proclamation
propaganda
When to use this quote
- military invasion
- forced conversion
- resource seizure
- enslavement of civilians
Key Concepts
imperialism
slavery
cultural domination
Practical Applications
- historical analysis of colonization
- educational curricula on imperial violence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does framing war as divine duty affect resistance?
- What are the long‑term impacts of such conquest on the subjugated society?
A Different Perspective
Some may argue the rhetoric reflects the era's norms, but it still reveals deliberate cruelty and dehumanization.
![“In 1914... [German] history, poetry, dream and the individual moment were all combined in one exhilarating sensation...The nation was a creation of one's imagination, a poetic truth, an ethical, not a social, construct... blind obedience was the true value... the stronger a person is... the more…” quote by The Rites of Spring Modris Eksteins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a2/the-rites-of-spring-modris-eks_blind-obedience_in-1914-german-history-poetry-dream-and_16799.jpg)
