Discovery doctrine
CONCEPT OF PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW
Doctrine of discovery; Doctrine of Discovery; Discovery Doctrine
The discovery doctrine, or doctrine of discovery, is a concept of public international law that was promulgated by Christian European monarchies in order to legitimize the colonization and evangelization of lands outside Europe. Between the mid-fifteenth century and the mid-twentieth century, this idea allowed European entities to seize lands inhabited by Indigenous peoples under the guise of "discovering new land", meaning land not inhabited by Christians.