Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2023
Early morning, on the 26th of January 1588, a porter walked through the southeast courtyard of the royal palace of Madrid. Fumbling with a set of large keys, he unlocked the large doors of the king’s foremost institution of lawmaking, privilege-distribution, and adjudication: the Council of the Indies. This handyman – his name was Juan de Cendejas – checked if the council had enough candles, paper, ink, and string. He inspected the chamber pots, and adjusted and wound the clock. Damiana, a black woman, soon joined him, sweeping the floor, and kindling a fire in the hearth.
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