The Role Of Art In The Aztec Art

The Role Of Art In The Aztec Art
Art was used by the Aztecs upper class to set them apart from the lower class. They adorned
themselves with feathers, jewelry and fancy clothes. The rich also owned paintings, statues and
music to honor and praise their gods. Most of the lower class, however, could make art but only to
sell to the rich. The Aztec empire had an appreciation and fascination with birds, bugs and animals.
These animals were praised and admired and as a result, they were popular subjects in the Aztec art.
Aztecs believed that their gods took the forms of animals. Paintings of them were always brightly
colored. The Emperor received art as tribute. The Aztecs considered art as a tool to reinforce their
dominance. Jewelry made from copper, jade, obsidian and gold was also reserved for the Emperor.
He had such a variety of clothing and jewelry, it is said that he never wore the same thing twice.
There were rules in the Aztec society that told which rank of people could wear which type of
clothing. For example, only nobles and the Emperor could wear clothing decorated with feathers,
beads and other pretty things. Farmers and other lower–class people could not. If this law was
broken, the consequence was death. The Emperor and noble families also had their bodies pierced
so they could wear more jewelry. Statues and brightly colored paintings would adorn their walls and
set them apart from the lower class and maintain their high–class status. Different materials are used
to make art such as coral,
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The Discovery Of The New World
Since the arrival of Columbus to the New World in 1492, it began a new era for the Spanish Empire.
During this time Spain successfully conducted the Reconquista back home and were power hungry
for more land to conquer to keep the momentum going. The early explorations would lead to bigger
conquest and fortunes for the Spaniards. After the reunification of Spain with Queen Isabella and
King Ferdinand, they financed the expedition for the Genoese explorer, Christopher Columbus, for
trading routes to the Asian markets. Instead Columbus found new land in which he called the island
Hispaniola. The discovery gave Spain to expand their empire even furthermore. Spain was capable
to explore and conquer lands is because of the Reconquista of their ... Show more content on
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The Spanish Empire had permission from the Pope to Christianize the natives in the New World.
One way to convert the natives into Christianity is through the usage of the encomienda system. The
overall goal for the Spanish empire was to send people to the New World and start settlements for
others to continue the trip. The queen stated the need of encomienda, "associate with them, by
which means they will help each other to cultivate and settle and increases the fruits of the island"
(Queen Isabella, 23). The queen wanted the Spaniards and local natives to work together as a way to
build a close relationship. The cooperation between the two parties would increase the chances of
survivals especially for the Spaniards. Furthermore, the relationship with the natives included
treating them as equal and not as inferior to the Spaniards. The only reason there was peace between
the Spaniards and the natives is that the Spaniards were ordered to have a settlement and
cooperating with the natives would increase their chances for survival in the unknown New World.
That peace started to disappear when the Spanish Crown ordered for the settlers to start making a
profit for the Empire. From that point on, settlers started to exploit the natives for economic profit.
That is when the Spaniards wanted to make some money for themselves and for the Crown, which
lead to the conquest of the Aztecs and Incas in the near future. The actual conquest of the

Positive Effects Of The Spanish Conquest
The Spanish Conquest impacted the Aztec society's beliefs and way of life. The Aztec empire was a
wealthy and a well–organized society. It was an empire that people from Europe had never seen
before. There are many mixed feelings about the impact of the Spaniards in the new world. Some
experts view it as negative and others believed there were many positive results of this conquest.
Regardless if we agree whether the conquest was positive or negative, there is no doubt that the
Spanish conquest was the beginning of the end for the Aztec empire. An empire that had their own
set of beliefs filled with exotic mythology and legends.
The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, and what is known today as Mexico City was
conquered in 1521 by the Spanish explorer named Hernando Cortez. Cortez was born Medellin,
Spain in 1485. He was the only son of a noble family and his father was a captain in the Spanish
army. He was fascinated with Christopher Columbus' journeys in the new world. This was a far cry
from his parents wish for him to be lawyer. Before reaching the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico,
Cortes along with Diego Velazquez, were powerful figures in the island of Cuba. Their partnership
soon ended when Cortes went against Velasquez's wishes to marry his sister and sailed to the
mainland of Mexico against his orders. On 1519 Cortez reached the harbor of central Veracruz
("True Cross"). He arrived with 11 ships, 15 horses and a fleet of 500 men in search for gold. Cortes
soon learned that the land was ruled by the great Aztec lord in the city of Tenochtitlán: King
Monezuma II.
The Aztecs had many beliefs that were based on the end of the world and nature. The Aztec religion
focused on keeping a balance in nature. They believed that one mistake could lead to a natural
disaster or could cause the sun to stop rotating. Among the many hundreds of gods that the Aztecs
adored, there was a particularly interesting god that stood out from the rest. This god was
Quetzalcoatl, otherwise knows as the "Feathered Serpent". According to legend Quetzalcoatl created
all humans with his own blood. The Aztecs believed that they needed to repay Quetzalcoatl and all
the gods for their sacrifice by performing rituals. In

Victors and Vanquished Essay
Victors and Vanquished
The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and
defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other
events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central
America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of
this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the
most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the
destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying
themes and storylines that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While greed was defiantly a starting point for Cortez's expedition, it was his greed while in Central
Mexico that changed the tide of history. Cortez's first encounters with the natives in Central Mexico
gave him crucial information about a large wealthy nation that was further inland. While still on the
coast representatives from this nation canoed out to Cortez, which officially started relations
between Spain and the Aztecs. Among many things given to the Spaniards during the first few days
of contact with the Aztecs was a large chest of gold figures along many other expensive things. This
gesture of good will by the Aztecs would eventually lead to their downfall. The moment Cortez
started receiving all these wonderful items his mind was most likely made up that he would do
whatever it took to plunder every valuable item of the Aztec kingdom. As Cortez gradually moved
deeper into Aztec territory he steadily received more gifts from the Aztecs and from other city–
states that surrounded Tenochtitlan. Each time Montezuma requested for Cortez and the Spaniards
to return back to the coast and conduct meetings and trade from there. However, with each gift
received just gave Cortez additional incentive to move towards Tenochtitlan. By the time the
Spaniards were in Tenochtitlan the Aztecs saw their true colors and it was too late.
A second major theme, which played a very important

The Conquistadors
The Conquest of Mexico and the conversion of the peoples of New Spain can and should be
included among the histories of the world, not only because it was well done but because it was very
great. . . . Long live, then, the name and memory of him [Cortés] who conquered so vast a land,
converted such a multitude of men, cast down so many men, cast down so many men, cast down so
many idols, and put an end to so much sacrifice and the eating of human flesh! –Francisco López de
Gómara (1552) When people are asked, "who were the Conquistadors and what did they do?" One
may respond, "Conquistadors came from Spain and settled the Americas." An answer such as that
may suffice and is factual. However, the Conquistadors were more than settlers, ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Maybe too much credit is given to Cortés as one of the greatest Spanish conquerors who developed
effective strategy to defeat the Aztecs. Restall see this as somewhat of a myth accounting for the
failure of historians to look at history before the 1519 (Restall, 19). Restall says "However, too
often, without any direct evidence, the actions of Conquistadors after the 1519– 21 invasion of
Mexico are taken as deliberately imitating Cortés, while pre–1519 patterns are ignored." Whatever
the case for whom should be given the credit for the strategy used to defeat the Aztecs; one must
admit Cortés was able the win the trust of the people and use the Aztecs' fear of him to control their
empire. Cortés harbored fear of his own. Elliott says, "Cortés felt some uneasiness, when he
reflected that it was in the power of the Indians, at any time, to cut off his communications with the
surrounding country, and hold him a prisoner in the capital." The Omens of the Aztecs betrayed
them and caused them to see the arriving settlers as gods. They were not prepared to defend
themselves against the advanced weapons of the Spanish. Much like the Aztecs, the Mayans faced
hard times at the hands of the Spanish conquerors, but their defeat came much easier to the Spanish.
Third, the Conquistadors conquered many civilizations including the Mayans. The Mayan
civilization was quite

Song Of The Humming Bird Summary
The author Graciela Limón wrote a compelling novel called "Song of the Humming Bird", which
discusses the struggles that indigenous people endured during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The
author tells the history about the horror that the Aztec people witness and experienced, through the
memories of a woman who witnessed the atrocities perpetuated by the white Spaniards. She also
describes the encounters of two different worlds colliding and that history, having two distinct
interpretations of events that happened during the Spanish conquest. I will be discussing how
important it is to be mindful of someone else's life experiences and how important they are to that
person. I will also discuss about the violence that occurred during the conquest of Mexico, and the
impact it had on the indigenous people and their futures. I enjoyed reading the novel from beginning
to end, it made me hopeful in the sense that people from different races can change and
acknowledge someone from a different race and have compassion towards them. As well as
understanding that we are all humans and value the same things when the unknown is brought to
light such as ones' religion, customs, and traditions. I have seen truth within the book when it
exhibited the actions that Huitzitzilin confessed to father Benito. Which was when someone
experiences trauma, suffrage, and despair an individual will commit to horrendous acts in order to
stay alive in a world full of disorder and chaos. The lesson I

Why Did The Spanish Conquer Research Paper
The Spanish Conquer The conquer of the Aztec Empire is viewed as a bloody battle. The Aztec
Empire had placed trust in the Spaniards, but were overthrown by their allies. The thought of greed
and disbelief created the distrust. The three ways of success that contributed to the Spanish conquest
of Aztec Empire in the early 1500s began with the trustworthy relationship between the two leaders
Moctezuma and Cortez, the trust began to falter with the Spanish due to the thought of losing
everything if the alliance diminishes, and then the defeat of the Aztec Empire was very brutal and
savage. The Spaniards conquered the Aztecs, but could not have done so without the trustworthy
morals Moctezuma ran throughout his empire. The first document ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Many suspicions, greedy manners, and false beliefs began to evolve. One of the documents, The
Conquest of New Spain, clearly states that after all the goodness Moctezuma had done for the
Spaniards, they began to turn against him. The Spaniards' uncertainty evolved because they began to
believe his nice duties were just to cover up what was going to occur next. The four captains of
Cortez persuaded Cortez to believe that Moctezuma would soon enough begin to stop aiding them.
If this aid stopped, the Spaniards would have nothing and their allies could not help them due to
Empire made of canals. Cortez realized this and became greedy for all the wealth, gold, and other
riches the Aztec Empire possessed. The captains again then persuaded Cortez that the Aztec Empire
must be seized right away before something happens to them first. As the trust was lost, the greed
and envy arose and the battle for conquer ascended over the Aztec

Spanish Conquest Source Analysis
This investigation will answer the question, "How did the political aspects of the Aztec empire
facilitate Spanish conquest?" Source A is an article intended to provide insight on how the roles of
Cortez, indigenous allies, and ideologies advanced the fall of the Aztec empire. Source B is a book
to provide insight into the inner workings of Aztec politics and culture at Tenochtitlan, the Aztec
capital.
Thomas J. Brinkerhoff, Reexamining the Lore of the "Archetypal Conquistador"
Published in 2016, this secondary source was written using a variety of references by Thomas
Brinkerhoff, a Ph.D. student studying Colonial Latin America and Global Empires and Imperial
Legacies at the esteemed University of Pennsylvania. Brinkerhoff's academic credibility ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He is the value of the origin. Although a diverse group of references were employed, sources from
the last decade were omitted. As recent sources were available before the book's 2012 publication,
this inconsistency provokes caution from historians and limits the origin's value.
The purpose of this source is to explore the history of Tenochtitlan and analyze its demise. An
exploration of Tenochtitlan's demise through politics would contribute to the value of this
investigation as Tenochtitlan was the center of political activity in the Aztec empire. However, the
purpose of this source is limited in that de Rojas, a Spanish male and liberal scholar, may have a
hidden agenda intended to advance contemporary ideology or perspectives pertaining to
Tenochtitlan.
Rojas details the role of geopolitics and Mesoamerican political tradition in the demise of the
Mexica and includes maps of Aztec and Spanish conquest in the Aztec region. This offers insight
into how the Spanish accomplished colonization and why the indigenous accepted them as their
rulers, showing the content's value. Rojas's failure to focus on the importance of the extensive
tributary system central to the capital's political power and ultimate demise is the content's

Global Expansion And The Conquest Of The Aztec Empire
Global expansion has been a large topic covered by historians for hundreds of years. The
development of independent countries establishing trade, business, and military powers had led to
the development and advancement of all the continents. The purpose of exploration, conquest and
governmental power are common themes that are shared among the powers of 16th century Europe.
With unexplored land and unknown inhabitants, the desire and race for expansion were a primary
purpose of European nations. Inhabitants of these new lands had established cultures, religions, and
social lives. Little documentation is to be found on native people of the North American continent,
the majority had no written language or were completely illiterate. Any written records kept were
kept in the writings of the victors. Understanding expansionism and conquest can be told differently
by many different scholars. Their evaluations can be one–sided as there is no other story upon
documentation that can be evaluated. Hernándo Cortes and the Conquest of the Aztec Empire was to
be evaluated as the ruthless, war monger who sought power and control and treasure in the name of
the King of Spain. Cortés would invade a new piece of land inhabited by cultures of Indians to seize
fame and fortune. His military efforts along with the help of other native tribal allies destroyed an
Empire of the largest capacity. Reasoning and purpose for the invasion can only be told as a
conquistador laying claim on

The Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla Essay
"The Broken Spears" by Miguel Leon–Portilla
The author argues that the Spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the Aztec
Empire. In Broken spears, the author explains how many factors other than Spanish power
contributed to the downfall of the Aztecs. Not only did the Spanish have many advantages over the
Aztecs, but also they also exploited them and took advantage of the cultural difference. The main
key aspects to the Spanish victory, is that the Spanish were viewed as gods at first because of their
appearance, the Aztecs welcomed the Spanish with gifts and festivities, which showed the Spanish
had total control of people. The Aztecs also held a ritual ceremony for the arrival of the "god" that
included a human ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Leon–Portilla based the stories told in this book upon old writings of actual Aztec people who
survived the Spanish massacres. The actual authors of the stories told in this book are priests, wise
men and regular people who survived the killings. These stories represent the more realistic view of
what really happened during the Spanish conquest. Most of the history about the Aztec Empire was
based on Spanish accounts of events, but Leon–Portilla used writings from actual survivors to
illustrate the true history from the Indians' point of view.
The book focuses on how the Spanish slowly exploited the Aztec resources to the point where they
started killing people for no reason but to exterminate them. One of the turning events during the
Spanish conquest is the massacre in the main temple during the fiesta Toxcatl. The Aztecs begged
their king to hold festivities in honor of the god Huitzilopochtli. After they got permission, they very
carefully prepared for festivities and sworn to do their best dancing at the festivities to show the
Spanish the beauty of their rituals. The Spanish showed that they are interested to learn more about
the festivities, but they were planning to murder all the celebrants. When the celebrations began, the

Hernan Cortes To Mexico
HERNAN CORTES AND THE CONQUEST OF AZTEC EMPIRE
To begin with, the turning point in Aztec empire was the time when Spanish conquisadors entered
into the empire in 1519, with their chief general, Hernan Cortes. He is well known for conquering
the Aztec empire and also for being the first governor of Mexico. This led to complete
transformation of Mexico to new world forming new lifestyle for the native people. This essay
would talk about Hernan Cortes's life and achievements, his intentions behind his every step, in my
opinion and according to some sources and also comparison between Aztec and Cortes's way.
Before anything else, let's talk about his nature. From where I am sitting, Cortes was ambitious, ...
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The factors were after reading about conquest of Inca empire:
In my view, Aztec Empire had many enemies both insiders and outsiders. In the other words, people
who were captured by Aztec and also the one who were never got conquered by them. These
alliances helped Cortes in increasing the size of armed forces and also helped him in getting
information about the size of forces of Aztec, their strategies and how they could recognize the
leaders, which lead to ultimate win–win situation.
Second point could be the differences in their warfare, as Cortes just fought to kill and conquer but
Aztec believed in keep people alive. Cortes had different strategies that were mind–oriented than

The Aztec And Inca Empires
Inside any atrocious act committed by a group of people onto another for the sake of greed there's a
message they must spread to justify their actions, for the Spanish onto the Aztec it was ridding the
world of heretics worshiping Gods of blood. The Aztec and Inca Empires fell with relative ease to
the Spaniards due to a variety of contributing factors. Hesitate action from leadership may have
played a role at least for the Aztecs as according to Hernan Cortez; Moctezuma believed that he
possibly was a God. Superior weaponry such as steel based weapons/armor played a significant role,
as both the Inca and Aztec empires still relied on weapons made from stone and wood. European
diseases like small pox also played a heavy hand in the decimation of the native population, as the
natives had no immunities to such ailments. The Spanish who arrived with very few men to fight
also utilized subject people to fight on their side due primarily to the irritation of the Native Empires
long dominance of them. This was mainly utilized in the Aztec Empire's conquest as they had long
sacrificed large portions of their subjects to their Gods in order to appease them. Along with
sacrifices, the Aztec required large payments of goods & labor from their subjects further creating
tensions. The conquistadors were shocked when they saw the grizzly ritual sacrifices the Aztec
would make in order to appease their Gods. Some I imagine actually believed the big lie which
would be told to the world,

Colonialism By Hernan Cortes Summary
Colonialism, according to Webster's dictionary, is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial
political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically (1).
Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador, who against the wishes of the crown, set out on an
expedition in 1519 to conquer a new world. Hernan Cortes came with the sole intent to conquer and
economically exploit the new world he intended to conquer. Wikipedia does a decent job at
providing reliable information, but I would argue that there are multiple areas the author can expand
on to help expand the perspective beyond that of a bias. The first suggestion that I would make in
this Wikipedia article would be to provide a more objective view of the native allies/allies, to get an
all–encompassing idea of what actually happened. The perspective of this article is that of the
Spanish conquistador, while acknowledging that the author gives nods to various indigenous groups.
This is shown through the authors use of providing only surface level claims, not revealing the true
intentions of Cortes' Expedition. In the text, there is a claim made by Cortés that stated the natives
"think of us as gods, or godlike beings" because the Aztecs and Montezuma thought Cortés was the
Aztec god Quatizquatoal returning. The description of the interaction is mentioned when the author
states that "Cortes attempted to frighten the Aztec delegation with a display of his firepower" (), this
use

Hernan Cortes Research Paper
Hernan Cortes
His life and explorations of the New World
Report by Abbie Munt
Word Count: 550 words.
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3
What country he come from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Why he left his home country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
What his first impressions of the new world were . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What the key events in his 'conquest' of the new world . . . . . . . . 5
How he left the new world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The conquest was very successful as they won the land. This event was important the making of
America. When Hernan Cortes landed in Mexico with all of his 600 soldiers, the Aztecs had control
over all of that land at that time. The Aztecs could not expand their empire anymore due to the
Spanish conquest. In Cuba, Hernan Cortes worked in the civil government and served as the mayor
of Santiago. He used deadly force to some people to conquer Mexico.
How he left the new world
In 1519, Hernan Cortes left Cuba to go to Mexico even after Velázquez cancelled it off last minute.
Hernan Cortes went to Mexico with 11 ships, 600 soldiers and 16 horses. Cortes had captured the
leader of the Aztec Empire and held him hostage. The leader was then murdered by somebody, but
not Hernan. The Aztec empire then chased him out. Hernan and the soldiers left but then came back
in 1521 and captured the empire. Hernan left the New World but then he made a return and captured
the Aztec Empire.

La Otra Conquista Analysis
The film La Otra Conquista entails the life of Topiltzin, the sole illegitimate son of Aztec emperor
Moctezuma. During Herán Cortés conquest of the Aztec empire, Topiltzin faces the confrontation of
Spanish conquistadors, whom slaughter and capture any Native Americans in an attempt to take
control of Tenochtitlan. This act of violence driven by the urge to find sources of wealth, and
especially in this film, focuses mainly on the conversion of Native Americans to Catholicism.
Specifically, Friar Diego focuses his attention on Topiltzin's conversion to Christianity. While the
film appears mere fictional, the elements portrayed in La Otra Conquista correspond to events
occurring in the conquest of the Aztec empire. Therefore, the film entails elements of religion and
gender roles. After being caught performing a human sacrifice by Captain Cristóbal and Friar Diego,
a violent confrontation takes place resulting in the death of Native Americans and the capture of
Topiltzin. When confronted face to face with Herán Cortés and his mistress and translator Tecuichpo
(revealed as Topiltzin's half–sister), Cortes spares the life of Topiltzin on the terms that he converts
to Christianity. Cortes then renames Topiltzin as Tomás and Tecuichpo as Doña Isabel. La Otra
Conquista, directed by Salvador Carrasco (ADO Entertainment, 1998), DVD, 106 min. Five years
later, under Friar Diego's guidance, Tomás finds difficulty in his newfound Catholic faith, often
conflicting with his

The Fall Of The Aztecs
Daniel 1
Peter Daniel
Professor Chrissanthos
TA: Christina Pappous
HIST010
4 June 2015
The Fall of the Aztecs
The Aztec civilization is widely regarded as the greatest civilization of the Americas. The
Aztecs' empire covered most of modern day central Mexico and was the most powerful civilization
in the region at the time. They had developed political, religious, and social systems that were very
intricate and important to the culture as a whole. The Aztecs, at the height of their greatness, ruled
5–6 million people and over 500 city–states. However every great civilization in history, including
the Aztecs, have a rise and have a fall. The Aztec Empire fell to the Spaniard's conquest because of
the Aztec's religion, disease, Spanish weaponry, and native alliances. Although the Aztecs have an
unknown origin, by legend they are believed to have originated from the northern part of modern
day Mexico. A nomadic tribe known as the Mexica began migrating to the Valley of Mexico. These
people are what society calls Aztecs today. In A.D. 1325 the Mexica founded the great city of
Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City) on the island of Lake Texcoco. Tenochtitlan allied with the
cities of Texcoco and Tacuba to form an alliance against the Tepanec people who were the dominant
people of the region. This alliance was known as the Triple Alliance which was the basis of the
Aztec Empire. The Triple Alliance dominated Central Mexico up until the time of the Spanish
Conquest in 1521.

Broken Spears
The author argues that the Spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the Aztec
Empire. In Broken spears, the author explains how many factors other than Spanish power
contributed to the downfall of the Aztecs. Not only did the Spanish have many advantages over the
Aztecs, but also they also exploited them and took advantage of the cultural difference. The main
key aspects to the Spanish victory, is that the Spanish were viewed as gods at first because of their
appearance, the Aztecs welcomed the Spanish with gifts and festivities, which showed the Spanish
had total control of people. The Aztecs also held a ritual ceremony for the arrival of the "god" that
included a human sacrifice, which was seen by the Spanish as a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This brings a logical explanation for why the Chinese refused to let Europeans into their culture.
The Chinese did not commit the same mistake as the Aztecs, The Chinese strictly controlled all
aspects of contact between all European encounters and Chinese people, this is the main reason why
the Chinese people were not as badly exploited and exterminated as the Aztecs were. This shows
that wherever European powers got involved, they cause a great deal of damage to the point of
extermination to other cultures as in the case of the Aztec Empire.
Broken Spears offered detailed description of actual events during the Spanish conquests. Although
it seemed to be somewhat unclear, it was highly descriptive and had a high probability of accuracy.
The authors provided an excellent view of what really happened during the conquest, the
information provided was highly accurate from the Indian prospective, as what they saw and
experienced.
I believe that this book presented a very excellent example of what happens when a European power
tries to exploit another cultures, and this is not the only time that we will see this happen. There will
many Aztec–Like exploitations and destruction. It appears that the Europeans valued their interested
over the outcomes of cultural

16th Century American Weapons
Cully Bogard
Hanewald
Forces of the Modern World
26 September, 2015
Troops, Weapons, and Tactics
Analyzing Factors that Contributed to the Success of Cortes in Mexico
The 16th century was truly the rise of the west. The Protestant Reformation was sweeping through
Europe, changing the ways people worshipped, thought, and communicated. Ideas and inventions
were ubiquitous throughout the western world, making Europe the cultural and technological center
of the world. Each nation within Europe was in a desperate competition to usurp the other in land
and commerce. Therefore, the discovery of the Americas began a race for the commodities of the
New World between the European superpowers. Spain quickly saw the potential in the Americas
and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In usual Mexican combat, both sides had the same weapons and tactics, and it was often the larger
side that won. However, with the introduction of Spanish technology and troops to the battleground,
Cortes was able to dominate the dumbfounded Aztecs, even with lesser numbers. With the addition
of the native allies to the army Cortes was able to "use the surviving 250 Spaniards with their
weapons as shock troops to punch through enemy lines, enabling Tlaxcaltec troops to pour through
and attack their vulnerable flanks". The Spanish strategy of using shock troops was so effective that
they would actually have to disguise themselves for the Aztecs to commit to an attack before pulling
out their weapons because the presence of Spanish troops would make the Aztecs avoid the
formation. The fighting style of the Europeans also gave them a tactical advantage because, unlike
the Aztecs, they fought to kill. The Aztecs would attempt to injure the foe so that he may be taken
captive. After which, they were then taken to a sacrificial ground to be slain. Therefore, Aztec
combat methods were less mortal, making the Spanish way of fighting much more effective and
costly to the Aztec population. The introduction of European strategy secured the victory for Cortes
and his men all the way to Tenochtitlan because it truly

Victors and Vanquished Essay
Victors and Vanquished
The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and
defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other
events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central
America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of
this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the
most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the
destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying
themes and storylines ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Among many things given to the Spaniards during the first few days of contact with the Aztecs was
a large chest of gold figures along many other expensive things. This gesture of good will by the
Aztecs would eventually lead to their downfall. The moment Cortez started receiving all these
wonderful items his mind was most likely made up that he would do whatever it took to plunder
every valuable item of the Aztec kingdom. As Cortez gradually moved deeper into Aztec territory he
steadily received more gifts from the Aztecs and from other city–states that surrounded
Tenochtitlan. Each time Montezuma requested for Cortez and the Spaniards to return back to the
coast and conduct meetings and trade from there. However, with each gift received just gave Cortez
additional incentive to move towards Tenochtitlan. By the time the Spaniards were in Tenochtitlan
the Aztecs saw their true colors and it was too late.
A second major theme, which played a very important role in this event, was the incredible
advantage given to the Spanish due to their technology. The Aztecs were an advanced civilization
with a large infrastructure, an organized system of government and many artistic and cultural
achievements. However, they severely lacked many important advantages that were common in
Europe at that time. The Aztecs had no iron tools or weapons,

The Spanish Invasion Of The Aztecs
The Spanish invaded the Aztecs in 1519, led by Cortes. As can be seen, the Aztecs already had a
very organised way of life, as well as their own religious ideas and traditions. Additionally, they had
developed a strict social organisation, with an element of democracy and a well–managed economy
and trade. The siege Cortes laid on the city of Tenochtitlan, and the fact that the Spanish tried to
escape with many of the Aztecs' treasures also suggests that the Spanish were there for their own
selfish desires and forced the Aztecs' into surrendering in the end. Thus, the Aztecs were invaded by
the Spanish when their Empire fell.
Invasion is defined "an instance of invading a country or region with an armed force ", which is how
the Spanish acted ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There was a strict order of hierarchy, with two main groups of calpulli (commoners) and the pipiltin
(nobles). The class level determined many things including their clothing and housing. Men were
able to move up the scale if they proved themselves in battle, as being a good fighter was
considering a key element to success. The invasion of the Spanish led to the destruction of the
Aztec's social organisation. The surviving Aztecs were forced into slavery for the Spanish and lost
their native culture. Accordingly, the Aztecs' lost all control over the

Aztec And Mexica Lesson Plan
My classroom lesson plan will focus on the Aztec/Mexica history of Mesoamerica. The lesson plan
would conform to Grade 7 Standards (not Grade 10). Under section 7.7, students will compare and
contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Meso–American
and Andean civilizations. From this standard, I plan to utilize three sub–sections. In particular, 7.7.1:
"Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and
their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies."
Also, 7.7.2: "Study the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life,
warfare, religious beliefs and practices, and slavery." Finally, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
How was life like for a typical Aztec civilian? What were the customs, and practices in Aztec
society? What were the initial responses by the Aztecs to the first encounters with the Spanish? How
did the Aztec civilization decline? What was the long–term impact of the Spanish Conquest of the
Aztecs?
This lesson plan will be taught for a five day week dedicated solely to the Aztecs. The Aztec/Mexica
topic will fall under a unit discussing Mesoamerican societies. This topic might also fall under a unit
discussing European colonization of the New World. When looking at the standards, I think the
most exciting section of the standards for my students will be on Aztec practices, traditions, food
and how the Aztec empire declined. I feel these sections will attract students to try to learn,
understand, and comprehend who the Aztecs were and how their civilization

Conquest Of Mexico Research Paper
The conquest of Mexico For understanding modern Mexico, we have to know the history of
Mexico. Life in Mexico it's a mix of cultures and traditions that remain form past until today and
continued. The conquest of Mexico is clearly one of the most important events in Mexican history.
There is a lot of different story about civilization, that either we don't have any evidence of how
their being or we don't know how to read and organize the evidence that we have. Most of the
historians written their histories best on the very simple question: How could the few people defend
the thousands of indigenous peoples who lived in what the Spaniards themselves describes as a very
impressive, advances civilization? Their answer to this question is reduced to few lines in the world
civilization text book. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1519 Cortes led a hundred Spaniards to come to the Mexico that by the time Great Montezuma
are the Empire of Mexican and he make the rule. Cortex was a Spanish explorer and conquistador
that lend on the Mexico. He acting on his own, he has an army about 500 men, cause a debacle of
the wealthiest, and most powerful empire on America. He is the remembered for conquering the
Aztec empire and claiming Mexico for Spain. He also became a governor of New Spain by helping
Cuba colonize. He came to the new world in 1504 , and attached his fortunes to Velazquez, the
Spanish government of Cuba. Later on he proved that he can be a one of the most capable ministers.
That is one of the reasons that Velazquez put Cortez in charge when he decide to commission an
expedition to mainland. But soon he noticed that he make a mistake and know that Cortez are so
successful and will do thing to get the

The Fall of the Aztec Empire
Abstract:
The Aztec civilization during its peak was the strongest civilization in the western hemisphere.
When the Spaniards first set foot in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, they could not believe that a
civilization so primitive in their minds could have been so culturally developed and powerful.
However, before making it to Tenochtitlan, they had discovered that all was not well in the Aztec
empire. From many native Indians that had tension with the Aztecs, they learned of internal and
pre–existing problems that existed. This investigation examines to what extent where those internal
and pre–existing factors to blame for the downfall of the Aztec Empire. The investigation was
undertaken using some of the only primary ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, the story of the Aztec defeat and the successful resolution of the Spanish mission against
incredible odds raises many questions. Regardless of more advanced technology and weapons, the
Spanish force was vastly outnumbered and began a military campaign poorly supplied within an
unknown territory against an unknown enemy. This paper explores the possibility that other key
factors were at play, which provided the Spanish with a several of advantages and facilitated the
successful resolution of their campaign. Furthermore, these factors allowed for an incredibly quick
and effective subjugation of millions of people – considering that by comparison it took hundreds of
years to expel the Muslim armies from southern Spain, a war ending in 1492 and in which many
conquistadores fighting in the new world took part of. This paper will argue that internal religious
quarrels, unsustainable tax obligations, and continuing military conflicts weakened the Aztec social
fabric by increasing resentment among subjugated towns and cities and diminishing trust among
Aztec citizens in their highly centralized government. To begin with, it is important to understand
the city states did not outline the division of politics, society, religion, and economy as clearly as
modern day western societies do or even

Effects Of The Age Of Exploration
The age of exploration is a period of time from the 15th century to the 18th century where
exploration and new discovery grow rapidly for the Europeans. It represent a time of both good and
bad when the Europeans founded new lands and colonize them, such as the New World. To them,
they had greatly benefited as their power grew but for others, their land were invaded and lost many
lives. The Spanish and the Portuguese are two main leaders of Europe that began the movement of
exploration and colonization. Because of their actions, regions like Latin America and West Africa
were at a deep disadvantage, being control by other country. But because of the age of exploration,
new things are discovered that prosper other places.
The interactions ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example, as Kristine Tucker had said, "The Spanish had a positive effect on Aztec civilization
because they helped modernize the society. They introduced the Aztecs to domestic animals, sugar,
grains, and European farming practices. Most significantly, the Spanish ended the Aztec's practice of
human sacrifice." This illustrate the benefits that the Spanish have brought to the Aztec, allowing
the empire to flourish. Similarly, the same was done to other colonies, allowing satisfaction that they
are not governed under an unfair system. Despite the lives that were lost in the process, it wasn't like
the Aztec were happy under the ruling of Montezuma II.
The interactions during the age of exploration in West Africa redefined the identities of Europeans
by the Portuguese dominated most of the trade, which granted them wealth and power, driving them
to the bridge of violence act. Though beginning as a small territory, the Portuguese went to West
Africa to search for gold but instead took control over the spices and major trading cities. To make it
easier to control others, the Portuguese use violence and a strategic permit. George Percy Badge
wrote, "They have guns with a noise like thunder and a ball from one of them, after traversing a
league, will break a castle of marble." This implies how using violence, the Portuguese has
frightened the traders

Broken Spears Book Report
Neeya Hansen
CHS–100
Professor Lopez Morin
Book Report #2–Broken Spears
April 5, 2017
Broken Spears
Miguel Leon–Portilla author of Broken Spears– The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, tells
the story of the Spanish conquest over the Aztecs from the Aztec point of view. It is more familiar in
history that the Spanish led by Hernan Cortez defeated the Aztecs with a powerful army and
established an easy victory all while having intentions to gain power and greed. However, Leon–
Portilla focuses on the Aztec Empire and their story. Leon–Portilla does a great job giving readers
the real occurrences and events from Aztec members. This paper argues that history must be told
from all sides. It is more common to hear about the Spanish conquest ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The Aztec people felt very strong about their beliefs in gods and superstitions. Montecuhzoma the
independent ruler of the Aztec empire swayed his people to believe in the power of gods and idols
and live a spiritual life. This ultimately was a turning point for the Aztecs and is where the Spanish
once again gained advantage over the Aztecs. While the Aztecs were faithful to their beliefs it made
them powerless an easy take down. Superstitions played a huge factor in the Aztecs first encounter
with the Spanish people. In 1519 when the Aztec people saw sight of something coming from a
distance in the water, they believed it was Quetzalcoatl (Leon–Portilla, 18). Quetzalcoatl was a
legend to them that promised to come back. Montecuhzoma misread the situation and sent messages
and gifts in hopes that it sent a gesture to welcome the gods onto their land. This was a big mistake
that Motecuhzoma made by opening his arms to the Spanish people upon their first encounter
together (Leon–Portilla, 63). This is just one case where the Aztec people poorly used their
judgement. However, Motecuhzoma did come to realize the behavior of the Spaniards or "Gods".
When the Spaniards held the gold given by the Aztecs their greed became noticed in the eyes of the
Aztecs. The Natives described them as monkeys. They soon caught on that the Spaniards were not
gods and heroes and more so barbarians

Hernan Cortes Impact On The Aztec Civilization
Accomplished navigator Hernan Cortes had many significant expeditions including the conquer that
impacted the Aztec Civilisation all due to his motives, causes and changes. Spanish conquistador
and explorer Hernando Cortez growing up with military running in the blood as his father was an
officer of the Spanish Army had an extremely pressured life. Both parents wanting his to become a
lawyer, he attended an university at age of 14. By the age of 19 he was pursuing his dream and
began his first voyage, becoming one of the most significant figures in history. Born in 1485,
Medellin, Spain conquistador Cortes was best known for his many expeditions and his well–known
expedition to the now known Mexico, where he conquered the Aztec society.
In 1516, Cortes started his own expedition, Velaquez tried to cancel it but he dis–obeyed his orders.
He set off with 500 men, 11 ships. Cortes had heard rumours that the expedition could contain great
wealth. Although he might have been wanting just to spread the Spanish society or bring the
Cristian ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is when Spain claimed Mexico and other indigenous states around. The Spaniards began
building churches and buildings on sacred grounds why trying to destroy the Aztec culture. This is
very significant because there was no more culture for the remaining Aztecs to live off and was
definitely a change. The Spanish language was also brought in during this period of time and they
only taught Spanish and English language from the moment the empire was taken over. Several
years after Cortes's conquest of Mexico he was governor for a while but got taken from power once
he returned from another conquest. Years after the defeat of the empire Spaniards began building
Mexico city on the ruins, later after many Spaniards and Europeans began living there. There was a
series of epidemics 50–60 years later but nothing major

1. How Did Social Change In Europe Contribute To European...
Reconquista: –The long struggle (ending in 1492) during which Spanish Christians reoccurred the
Iberian peninsula from Muslim occupiers. Treaty of Tordesillas: –Treaty negotiated by the pope in
1494 to resolve the territorial claims of spain and Portugal. Protestant Reformation: –All European
supporters of religious reform under Charles V's Holy Roman Empire. Predestination: –The belief
that God decided at the moment of Creation which humans would achieve salvation. A medieval
European social system in which land was divid into hundreds of small holdings. Renaissance: The
intellectual and artists flowering in Europe during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries
sparked by a revival of interest in classical antiquity. REVIEW QUESTIONS ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The social change in Europe contributed with the improvement and object discoveries as the
astrolabe and the caravels, lighter and moved by triangular sails, which facilitated the maneuvers on
the high seas and propitiated travel longer distances. It was possible to have an access to best routes
allowing occur the expansion overseas. 2. What factors contributed to the defeat of the Aztecs and
Incas by European forces? All these factors , in varying degrees , but all together, contributed to the
conquest of the Aztec Empire , making it possible. Although one of the factors that stood out was
that the contact between these two peoples ( Europeans and Aztecs ), the European settlers learned
to understand the Aztec people, while they did the same, and taking advantage of this situation , it
was made possible such achievement 3. What important differences were there between Spanish,
English, and French patterns of colonization? Spain was ahead in the conquest for territory while
Britain and France were having a war that prevented investment in expansion overseas. Spain for a
long time was in the front because of its technological advances, but after the two other European
powers recovered from their internal crises,France and England fought up to conquer much of the
territory that was once of Spain. Extended Response

Aztec Account Of The Spanish Conquest Analysis
The reading "An Aztec account of the Spanish Conquest" is mainly about a story when Hernan
Cortes came for the first time at Tenochtitlan (nowadays Mexico City). The Aztecs believes that
when Hernan Cortes arrive they believe the he was Quetzalcoatl, the main god in the Aztec culture.
Cortes were friendly invite to the Aztec city as the most important guest, the Aztec people made a
big party to celebrate the return of their god, but the Aztec people did not know Cortes intentions of
conquer the empire. Later the Aztecs were betrayed by Hernan Cortes. Cortes's army began to attack
the city and at the end they take over the city. This particular story is like a complementary to the
note lectures about the Aztecs. Also, this lecture help to understand

Conquest And Its Impact On The World
From the beginning of time, every great empire has emerged out of conquest. Conquest has
definitively shaped our current world. Yet, conquest would not be conquest without the aspect of
"othering." "Othering" is simply treating the a different group of people as not human or completely
different, therefore not identifying[a] with them. In order for an empire to conquer another territory,
they must first dehumanize or "other" the group they are conquering. Empires did this as an attempt
to justify the cruel or unjust acts the would undertak[b]e on these people. Some influential empires
that "othered" in order to allow for mass conquest were the Romans, Portuguese, Aztecs, and
Spanish. In order for a successful conquest to happen the dominant group must "other" another
group of people. [c] The Roman empire repeatedly "othered" in order to conquer and expand their
territories. Rome was one of the largest both residential and territorial empires in the world. "
[d]Rome became a great power ruling 60 to 70 million subjects" and it consisted of everything that
touched the Mediterranean Sea(256). But Rome did not start as a such a dominate empire; it had to
conquer much land to achieve its high status. Prior to Rome's dominance it was only a single city
estate surrounded by many other unconnected city estates. However,what allowed the city estate of
Rome to grow into a massive empire was through its use of violent conquest. Rome managed to
expand so rapidly because

Victors And Vanquished Analysis
Since of the history is only written by the winners and contains bias, the views of "other side" are
barely recaptured. As this suggest, the credibility of some historical events taken from one
perspective can be questioned. Therefore, the majority of the histories can be considered as
incomplete in the view of the fact that only unilateral views from the winning side were being
shown. As a matter of fact, the conquest of Mexico has always been one of the historical events that
lots of historians like to talk about. Along with the book Victors and Vanquished, Stuart B. Schwartz
has carefully provided readers with the perspectives from both Spanish and the Nahua on the fall of
Aztec and allowed us to interrogate the real history behind.
The Spanish conquest of Aztec Empire was a greatest historical event of all time. Hernan Cortes led
the expedition to Mexico in 1519 with originally of 550 men. Within only three years, he conquered
the Mexico by massive killing and plundering. Although the invasion had brought some of the
benefits to the Mexico, it was a heavy casualty on both sides.
In most of the case, profit always played a significant role in the happening of a new historical
event. Prior to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Schwartz contained sources from both Spanish side and Aztec side; I chose to believe in the
perspectives of Spanish side from Bernal Diaz. Since he was the former conquistador who
witnessed all of things that happened during the conquest, his words were more credible. Different
from Bernal Diaz, Aztec side seems to be less reliable to me because the testimony was gathered
after the conquest of Aztec with the help of young Native assistants. This implied that the
viewpoints from Aztec side were secondary source. Moreover, most of young Native assistants were
Tlatelolcans, and they originally hated the rule under Moctezuma. Therefore, their points of views
were most likely to contain with bias and personal

Christopher Columbus: A Hero Or Villain?
The historical event that I selected is Christopher Columbus' voyages to America because they acted
as an inspiration to explorers, which shaped the future for the population of the New World. The
controversy associated with Columbus is intriguing because he can be viewed as both a hero and a
villain when considering the outcomes that resulted from his excursions. He uncovered the route to
the Americas that would be used by explorers, merchants, and conquistadores even after his death,
which allowed him to be credited for the discovery of the New World. However, his travels also link
him with the violent conquests of the Americas by the Spanish. His voyages and his discoveries
inspired explorers and made them hungry for the success that Columbus ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Columbus returned with stories of beaches and warm climates as well as foods from the New World
including potatoes, tomatoes, and corn. These crops introduced in Europe became essential food
sources that assisted in the increase of the European population. After the death of Columbus, his
voyages continued to impact Europeans which caused individuals to attempt the conquering and
colonization of the same areas he explored. In 1519, commander Hernan Cortes led a fleet of eleven
warships carrying 500 spaniards to conquer the Aztec empire. Inspired by Columbus' discovery of a
new land, spaniards such as commander Hernan Cortes led armies to overthrow the civilizations of
the Americas in order to receive the fortune that Columbus once had. The spaniards met with the
Aztec emperor Montezuma and then started moving inland to the capital of the empire,
Tenochtitlan. To assist with their conquest, the spaniards captured Montezuma in order to disrupt the
social structure throughout the Empire. Montezuma was killed in battle and was succeeded by his
brother, Cuitlahuac who decided to revolt against the spaniards occupation of Tenochtitlan. Cortes
managed to survive the chaos, which allowed him to create an army of the remaining spaniards and
the natives who had feuds with the Aztecs. The Aztecs continued the rebellion but were unable to
overcome the strength of the enemy. A four month battle over Tenochtitlan occurred which caused
the destruction of both the city and the native population. Cortes and his army conquered the capital
which marked the end of his Spanish conquest. Cortes became the ruler of the Empire and began
torturing the Aztecs to provide him with information about hidden Aztec luxuries. The strategies of
Cortes were written and published in Europe which allowed a spaniard named Francisco Pizarro to
receive inspiration and

Impact Of The Spanish Empires On The Aztecs
Aliki Daviotis
Paper #2
December 2nd, 2017
Extending along the valley of Mexico, with Tenochtitlan as its capital; the Aztec Empire resided.
The Aztecs had significant wealth from trading and heavy payments of tribute from the conquered
natives. From the years 1200–1520, the Aztecs prospered and expanded their empire immensely.
However, all of this was going to change when the Spanish landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in
1519. Following Christopher Columbus' foundation of permanent settlement in the Caribbean, the
Spanish were seeking conquest, expedition and colonization of new territory. Although there were
multiple factors that contributed to the remarkable victory by the Spanish in the sixteenth century
such as religion; it was the indigenous alliances, technological superiority, and disease that was most
impactful. The Spanish conquistadors were not your typical farmers or craftsmen – they were
soldiers, travelers, and mercenaries in search of wealth. In their quests for fortune and land, they
invaded and enslaved native communities and looted gold, silver, and other treasures that were up
for grabs. The two prosperous conquests were those of the Aztec empire in Mexico by Hernan
Cortes and the Inca empire in Peru by Francisco Pizarro. They both had unpretentious forces that
were far outnumbered by the warriors of the empires they conquered. A vital element of their
success was their progressed weaponry and durable armor. Spanish conquistadors

Essay on The Fall of the Aztec and Inca Empires
The Fall of the Aztec and Inca Empires
In this essay I will tell how the Aztec and Inca empires ended, and also I will compare the fall of
both empires, using for a point of departure the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the land of
Mexico. Wherever the Spanish went always the same thing happened, from my point of view.
Innocent people were killed for no good reason, cities were massacred, civilizations were destroyed
or forced to convert to Christianity. And so, I think now is the time to reevaluate the actions of the
European explorers who subjugated the native American peoples and their civilizations.
Undoubtedly the most glorified and heroically portrayed of these figures of the European conquest
of the New World were ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
None of his written memoirs show the slightest wish to understand the Indians; in reality, he
condemned them before having known them even in the most superficial manner.
By the time when Moctezuma II, the last Aztec emperor (also known as Montezuma or
Motecuhzoma), became king in 1502 the city of Tenochtitlan, together with its neighbor Tlatelolco,
counted with more than 60 000 houses and had a population over 300 000 inhabitants; in other
words it had a size 5 times than London in the times of Henry VIII. Throughout the first seventeen
years of Moctezuma's reign, the empire was plagued with constant uprisings of peoples who had
been harshly subjugated by the Aztecs and wished to escape the tributes required of them.
Moctezuma had left the consolidation of the empire up to his generals while he devoted his time to
wordily pleasures and religious duties in Tenochtitlan.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, another great empire had recently accomplished s consolidation of its
own. Spain had successfully completed the Reconquista. I think that to better understand the reasons
for the conquest of Mexico and the elimination of its civilizations we should mention the process of
the settlement of New Spain. Finding a solid Muslim wall to the south, in Northern

Compare And Contrast Montezuma And Aztecs
Notes
The ninth king of the self–proclaimed Mexica, or Aztecs
Aztec empire reached maximum size under his rule
Main means of expansion: war
Widened gaps between the nobles and the commoners
Known for being the ruler of a defeated people, and being weak–willed and indecisive.
Many wives; two Queens; Tlaplizquixochtzin & Teotlalco
Name means: "He who is angry in a noble manner."
His life is full of contradictions – little is known about persona and rule
Stories depict Montezuma as being afraid of the Spanish, but this is believed to be because he
thought that they were the returned god, Quetzalcoatl
Ethnohistorians have disregarded this claim as post–conquest mythicalisation
Florentine Codex paints a scene where Montezuma made a speech that points ... Show more content
Review
This source answers majority and gives me a better idea of my definition and background questions
on Montezuma and the Aztec empire and also Hernan Cortes and the Spaniards. No it did not impact
on my hypothesis but it does change the direction of my research. This source raises further
questions about what the Aztecs thought about their king and if Montezuma's actions in dealing with
the Spaniards can be justified. This source was good because it gave me a good background of
Montezuma and his reign as Aztec king and Hernan Cortes and the Spaniards. Reflect
Generally, Wikipedia can be relied upon. Nothing in the source seems unusual, and all important
comments and statements are referenced. The page pays particular relevance to Montezuma, as
would be expected, and serves to represent the modern historical view on the Aztec emperor. The
source should be easy to corroborate. As I am going to try and find the Cortes, Letters to the King,
and, if possible, Castillo's, A True History of the Conquest of Mexico, which are more–or–less the
key sources in the document, these should help in that aspect.

Aztecs And Incas : Similarities And Differences
The Aztecs and Incas: Similarities and Differences The Aztecs were warrior people who lived in the
Valley of Mexico, with the capital at Tenochtitlan, during the 1400s. Under their authoritarian state,
the Aztecs worshipped their patron god, Huitzilopochtli, among other deities. Despite their warrior
tactics and developed belief system, the Spaniards conquered them in 1519. The Incas (or Inkas)
were the people who lived throughout the Andes Mountains from southern Peru to central Chile.
With a society based on agriculture, the Incas farmed the terrain of the Andes Mountains west of
their capital at Cuzco. The Incas suffered a fall to the Spaniards in 1532. The Aztecs from the Valley
of Mexico in the 1400s and the Incas from throughout the Andes Mountains during the 1400s are
similar and different because of their ideological and intellectual values, their rise and fall by
conquest of their empires, and the way they applied the characteristics of their economies to their
lifestyles.
The Aztecs and Incas possessed different ideological and intellectual values or developments
throughout their powers. For instance, an image of the Aztecs shows their practice of human
sacrifice through a ceremony and the building of large temples to honor the gods (Fefferman,
"Human Sacrifice Mendoza"). Ideology was a major interest of the Aztecs for they sacrificed
themselves for their many deities and cared more about them, unlike the Incas who did not practice
sacrifice for their gods. Aztec

Book Summary : Song Of The Hummingbird
Song of The Hummingbird The book setting takes place in Mexico City in 1583 at a convent. Father
Benito Lara was a Franciscan monk around 27 years old with a medium build, lean, clear tone,
chestnut color hair thin to baldness identifying himself as the new confessor at the convent. The
father was approached a private corner where an older woman Huitzitzilin 82 years old also known
as Hummingbird frail with yellowish tone skin, small face, skeletal, dark marks, stringy white hair
waiting to stated her last confession. Openly of her conversation with the father, Huitzitzilin
describes her people splintered by the Spaniards, cast out, rooted out and beaten. The people had
suffered from hunger and pestilence and felt like foreigners in their own rural area, these were
powerful words coming from Huitzitziln. Zintle was the cousin of Huitzitziln and her first love
during the Spanish Conquest of Mexico also the father to her unborn child. Huitzitzilin was different
from others that was instructed about the aborigines of Mexico because the way she spoke about
cultural repression of European religious, the struggle between gender oppression and duties of
being a woman. Women are considered of less importance even in our world today, where we are
supposed to have equality. Tetla was the chief attendant of the city's government while Huitzitzilin
was an Aztec princess/concubine to this government official. Huitzitzilin was keeping a secret
because of public humiliation and mockery

Conquest of Mexico Essay
Conquest of Mexico In 1519 Hernán Cortés led a couple hundred other Spaniards inland to the
impressive Empire of the Mexica ruled by the Great Montezuma. Many historians today tell how
quickly and almost effortlessly these Spaniards conquered the Empire. They paint an image of
ignorant, helpless Indians practically giving up their land out of fear of this group because certainly
the Spaniards must be gods since they have powerful weapons and strange animals. We know
neither Cortés nor any of his men were gods, of course, but what was it that allowed Cortés to
prevail over the inhabitants of the land? The First Expeditions To begin, in 1517 Francisco
Hernández de Córdova, Bernal Díaz del Castillo, and some other gentlemen ... Show more content
(Díaz) Through the interpreters, Grijalva expressed to the Indians that they had journeyed from
distant lands and were subjects of the Emperor Don Carlos and they, too, should become servants of
the same. Incredulous, the Indians replied that they already had their own chief and, since the
Spaniards had only just arrived they knew nothing of them so would not bow down to this new
chief. They also informed Grijalva and his men, that they had 24 thousand warriors from
neighboring provinces standing at the ready should Grijalva decided to attack. The next day, peace
was negotiated and gifts were exchanged. Grijalva's party gifted beads of Jadeite that were precious
to the Indians. In return, they received gifts of gold and jewels. These gifts were not of great value
because the gold was of poor quality, but the Indians did inform Grijalva that "further on, in the
direction of the sunset, there was plenty of gold, and they said ‘Colua, Colua, Méjico, Méjico'."
(Díaz pg. 22 3) After trading more of the green beads for gold, Grijalva's party returned at once to
the anchored ships; preparing to set sail immediately due to a northerly gale. (Díaz) Keeping on
course, the ships encountered a strange episode when they arrived at the mouth of a great river. A
great number of Indians lined the shores and each carried a lance with a colorful banner attached.
They waved and beckoned to the passing ships as if

Essay about The Role of Religion in "The Conquest of New...
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the dominant force in Western civilization. As the
Dark Ages came to a close, the monarchies of Europe began to consolidate power; providing an
alternative power base. With the Protestant Reformation came another blow to the influence of the
Church. Spain, the forerunner in the Age of Discovery, was a fervently Catholic country. During the
16th century, the monarchy combined the forces of "cross and crown" in its imperial policy; much to
the dismay and ultimate destruction of the indigenous peoples of the New World. Through an
examination of Aztec polytheism and the Catholicism of the conquistadors, comes the central role of
religion in the successful conquest of New Spain.
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Cortes fit this description quite well. According to Diaz, Montezuma told the Spanish that
they,"must truly be the men about whom his ancestors had long ago prophesized, saying they would
come from the direction of the sunrise to rule over these lands" (220).
Since the Aztecs considered the Spanish gods, they welcomed the conquistadors into Mexico City,
the city which the Spanish were repeatedly cautioned not to try and conquer. Furthermore, the
Spanish were well cared for and given food, gold, and women. Diaz comments, "to each of our
captains he (Montezuma) presented small gold objects and three loads of cloaks of rich feather
work" (221). The Spanish did not exactly respond graciously to the good treatment they received.
The diseases they brought and the Christianity they forced upon the indigenous peoples would lead
to destruction of a once great Aztec empire.
While imperialism is often sought after for economic purposes, the Spanish had an interesting added
element in their reasoning for conquest. Much as an extension to the Counter–Reformation in
Europe which was particularly fervent in Spain, the conquistadors were to conquer and convert the
New World. The native population was looked upon as "souls to be saved." The Aztecs were
considered heathens because they were polytheistic and this ensured their damnation. Diaz recounts
Cortes attempting to

The Role Of Art In The Aztec Art

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The Role Of Art In The Aztec Art