Campbell discusses the history of education in the Dominican Republic over a long period of time, from the inception of Spanish colonization in Hispaniola to the achievement of its first real independence in 1844. He seeks not to enter into postmodernist debates about the viability of the traditional historical narrative but to search for truth about what really happened through the traditional use of the sources.;
Pointed out the temptation of historians to set aside religious motivations for mission because 'we live in an era that is not thus motivated'. Rejects social upgrading as a motivation for missionaries
