This book examines the story of the 'discovery of America' through the prism of the history of
the Franciscans a socio-religious movement with a unique doctrine of voluntary poverty. The
Franciscans rapidly developed global dimensions but their often paradoxical relationships with
poverty and power offer an alternate account of global history. Through this lens Julia
McClure offers a deeper history of colonialism not only by extending its chronology but also
by exploring the powerful role of ambivalence in the emergence of colonial regimes. Other
topics discussed include the legal history of property the complexity and politics of global
knowledge networks the early (and neglected) history of the Near Atlantic and the
transatlantic inquisition mysticism apocalypticism and religious imaginations of place.
