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Europeans were already exploring the waters of New Worlds 200 years before the "discovery" of America by Columbus in 1492 - including those of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the west coast of Africa that was inhabited by various indigenous peoples. By focusing on the conquest of the Canary Islands, which were in turn subjugated by the French, Portuguese and Spanish in the course of the 15th century, this study adds a new chapter to the history of international law and breaks new ground: it presents the conquest as an encounter between ideas of law and normativity, emphasizes the contribution of the indigenous Canarians to the development of modern international law and opens up a new perspective on the achievements of the Salamanca School of international law.