The “Black Legend” During the late 15th and early 16th centuries Catholic Spain was beginning a vast movement in efforts to dominate Europe by conquering lands about the “New World.” Lands in Mexico and areas near the Yucatan known as New Spain became the focal point of Spain’s conquest. Being the first country to distribute their colonies throughout the New World, Spain was ridiculed by neighboring countries like England and France. However this type of ridiculing was largely due to the religion of Spain at the time. After the Protestant Reformation, Spain had remained to