Cortes was able to conquer the vast Aztec Empire with just 508 soldiers for several key reasons: 1) The Aztecs had an oppressive tribute system that made them unpopular with other local tribes who were willing to ally with Cortes. 2) Diseases brought by the Spanish like smallpox drastically reduced the Aztec population. 3) Cortes gained a translator, Malintzin, who helped him communicate with local tribes.

1. Great Batle of Otumba
Great Battle of Otumba: The Turning Point for the Spanish Isidro Gurrola History MO4 Jaime Soto
March 12, 2008 Introduction The Battle at Otumba is considered one of the turning points in the
conquest of Mexico, giving the conquistadors a victory at a time when the Aztecs could have
destroyed them. A statue of Cortés, with the name Otumba on it, stands in the conquistador's home
province of Medellin, Spain, to recall the event (Barghusen 2000:59). The Battle of Otumba Mexico
would occur a few days later after La Noche Triste, "the sad night", as the conquistadors were
fleeing towards their Native allies at Tlaxcala. It was fought on the 8th of July 1520, ... Show more
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The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown
by hand alone. Darts were used made from oak, single pointed with obsidian, flint, or even copper
or bone. The propelled darts tended to be more powerful than arrows (Cóttrill). Bows, known as
tlahuitolli, were common as well. The bows were 5 feet long, and the arrows (yaomime) were
pointed with flint, bone or obsidian, and kept in a quiver (mixiquipilli). As with all their weapons,
the Aztecs were very skilled in using the bow and arrow. It is believed that the arrows could fly 450
feet or more (Cóttrill). The sling was also an important military arm. It was woven of maguey fiber
and the ball cast by the latter was of finely rounded stone or clay (Duran 1964:335). Spanish
Weaponry Spanish weapons were technologically more advanced than those of the Aztecs. Spanish
steel swords did not shatter as native stone swords might, and their edges remained sharp longer.
Importantly, they could wound with a forward thrust as well as by side–to–side slashing. According
too Bernal Díaz, most of the natives killed in battle died from puncture wounds caused by sword
thrusts (Barghusen 2000:55). Spanish crossbows shot farther and more forcefully than the simple
bows used by the natives. In addition, the Spaniards had hand–held firearms called harquebuses.
Since crossbows and harquebuses had greater ranges than the
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3. The World Of The Aztec Empire
How was Cortes with 508 soldiers able to conquer the Aztec Empire with millions of peoples inside
its borders? Cortes was able to conquer the Aztec people for several different reasons. The Aztecs
had a very harsh tribute system that was not popular among the other peoples of Mexico. This
ferocious tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a "liberator" of some sort. Additionally, with the
Spanish came several diseases the Aztec peoples had never encountered. The spread of diseases such
as small pox and many others drastically reduced the Aztec population and sped up Cortes' cause.
Malintzin, a tribal girl given as a gift to Cortes, was helpful in translating local dialects and
communicating amongst Amerindians. Also an important aspect of ... Show more content on
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As the majority of those who were sacrificed were war captives who opposed the Aztecs, they
obviously greatly feared the brutal tribute system. However not only war captives were sacrifices,
common adults and children were also sacrificed at times. Cortes himself was disgusted at the
thought of human sacrifice, this allowed him to gain Indian allies as well as gain respect among
Mexican tribes that feared and opposed the Aztecs. The majority of the population feared the
process therefore making Cortes, whom despised the process, an appealing alternative. Many
followed Cortes as they shared the same views on the 'human sacrifice ' topic. Because Cortes posed
to eliminate the Aztecs it allowed him to appear as a liberator of the tyranny of the Aztec rule.
Secondly, a relatively minor cause for Cortes ' success was the issue of disease among the Aztecs.
Although this was a fairly feeble reason it actually greatly benefited the Spanish in reducing the
Aztec population. The Spanish brought smallpox to Mexico, said to be linked to an infected slave
arriving from Spanish Cuba, which caused great suffering to the Aztecs. The Spanish were immune
to the disease so it posed no threat to Cortes ' own men. The Aztecs were demoralized by the
mysterious illness that killed Indians and spared Spaniards, as if advertising the Spaniards '
invincibility. One negative aspect for Cortes however was that his Indian allies suffered from the
disease
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5. Mayan Architecture: Tulum Essay
Mayan Architecture &
The City of Tulum
Outline
I. Intro
II. The Mayan Civilization
A. Mayan Time Periods
B. Mayan Territory
C. Mayan Accomplishments
D. Mayan Collapse
III. Mayan Architecture
A. Intro
B. Tulum (Case Study)
1. Tulum's History
2. Tulum's Influences and Styles
3. Tulum's Design
a. Site
1. Economy
2. Social Class Orientation
3. Defenses
b. Buildings
1. El Castillo
2. Temple of Frescos
3. Temple of the Wind
4. Temple of the Descending God
5. Temple of the Initial Series
6. House of the Haiach Uinic
IV. Conclusion
In world history, the Ancient Mayan Civilization was dubbed the "Greeks of the New ... Show more
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When the northern Maya were finally integrated into the Toltec society by A.D. 1200, the Maya
dynasty finally came to a close, although some smaller cities continued to thrive until the Spanish
Conquest in the early sixteenth century (Ruddell).

6. Mayan Architecture
Tulum lies on the coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico, which is on the eastern side of the Yucatan
Peninsula. Tulum is different from most of the other Mayan cities because of its location, its
defenses, and its time period.
The name "Tulum" means wall, although that was a name given by Mayan descendants much later.
The name Zama was most likely the original Mayan name. It comes from a modification of the word
"Zamal" (morning), associated with the dawn (Mureiko). My visit to Tulum in the early morning
was quite an experience and an amazing view. It is no wonder they named the city "morning."
The meaning of "Tulum" stands true however. The city is surrounded on three sides by a fortified
wall that reaches heights of 16 feet at the doorways. The fourth side is a 40–foot high cliff that
overlooks the Caribbean reef and ocean. Because the city was constructed on a cliff, Tulum was/is
the only large and significant Mayan coastal city.
Tulum was constructed during the Post–Classic Period (AD 925 – AD 1540), and was one of the last
cities built by the Mayan people. It was constructed around the 12th century AD,
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8. Greek And Roman Classical Culture
Unit I Journal Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14
Howard Quattlebaum
His–102–I02
Midlands Tech
Unit I Journal Chapter 11
Historic Terms:
Renaissance:
––Rediscovery of Greek/Roman classical culture: In the rediscovery of Greek/Roman classical
culture Greek scientific and philosophical works were available to western Europeans. It was an
rebirth of classical learning and a clear rediscovery of the ancient Rome and Greece. The
renaissance scholars and artist referred to the classical past and rejected religious thought of the
middle ages referred to as the Dark Ages. They wanted to mirror image the art form of Classical
Greece with a realistic depiction of human form. Christian scholars put fourth effort in bringing
ancient writings and values into line with their own beliefs. This classical past became materialistic
and commercialized over time. They figured classical Latin written by Cicero, Vergil or Julius
Caesar was superior to church Latin spoken during their own time and wanted to purify Latin of its
medieval corruption. This lead to destroying living Latin of the Middle Ages. (Cole, Joshua pg.
365–367)
–– Humanism: Humanism was a program of study aimed with the association of the movement
known as the Renaissance. It was geared to replace the scholastic emphasis on logic and philosophy
with the study of ancient language, literature, history and ethics. Humanism wanted to recover and
understand heritage of Rome and Greece. They believed that an importance stressed for the present
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10. Legacy of Rwanda
Legacies of Rwanda, Spanish, and Residential schools. To what extent should contemporary society
respond to the legacies of historical globalization? Historical Globalization affected the entire world
in the start of 1492; War, Genocide, and prejudice are all affects of historical globalization. When
helping all the races, and people affected by historical globalization should be left for the citizens
and the Government should be responsible about it. Three cultures were affected by historical
Globalization; Rwanda, First Nations, and the Spanish Conquest The first case study is about
Residential Schools, how it affected the First Nations, and How it has affected today's society? In
1857, Canada passed the gradual Civilization ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Among these people were Francisco Hernandez de Córdoba and Juan de Grijalba who, under the
orders of Diego Veláquez, who is the Spanish governor of Cuba, Set out on ill– Fated ventures to the
Yucatan and Mexico's gulf coast (1517 – 1518). Diego Veláquez Commissioned Hernan Cortés to
lead a new expedition westward. Hernan Cortés ransomed fellow Spaniard Geronimo De Aguilar
who had been forced to live among the Mayas after surviving a 1511 shipwreck during one of His
expeditions. Aguilar ended up being a translator for Cortés. When Cortés explored farther north,
They then met another tribe that spoke a different language. When the Spanish defeated a tabascan
Chieftain at Potonchán, it included a gift of 20 native women, one of whom was able to speak both
Náhuatl and Mayan tongue fluently. She then got baptized with a Spanish name, Marina, and took
the Task of translating the Náhuatl and Mayan to Aguilar, who then told it in Spanish. Marina soon
became Cortés' mistress. Later on, she gave birth to his son, Martin, who was the first mixed–blood
Mexican. Tenochitlán, Montezuma was in a quandary as to how to best deal with the Spanish.
Ancient Legends Have said that Quetzalcoatl, the bearded, fair skinned Toltec ruler–god, would
return from the east in The year Ce Acatl (1519) to reclaim his kingdom. The waters of Lake
Texcoco had started to boil, flooding The island of their capital city. Moctezuma
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12. How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec Empire
How was Hernan Cortes able to conquer the Aztec empire? How was Hernan Cortes able to conquer
the Aztec empire? The fall of the Aztec Empire was led by an expedition by Hernan Cortes, a
Spanish conquistador, in 1521. Cortes' time was the era of Exploration. He became engrossed with
the tales of Christopher Columbus and decided to join the exploration. Which led him to travel to
the Americas and triumph of the Aztec empire. Such as a prophecy, weaponry, translators, disease
and allies.
An Aztec prophecy told of a God, Quetzalcoatl, who promised to return to the empire and rescue
them. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, believed Cortes was the god who was returning to take back
the Aztec empire. The prophecy described Quetzalcoatl's appearance as ... Show more content on
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Each year, the Totonacs were forced to send hundreds of children to the altars of Tenochtitlan, a city
within the Aztec empire, for sacrifice, therefore their hatred was prominent. [10] Whereas the
Tlaxcalans, had been at war with the Aztecs for about a century, to the Tlaxcalans, the Spanish
represented their only hope. [11] For this reason, Tlacochcalcatl forged an alliance with Cortés.
Before his alliances, his army only had 508 men to conquer the Aztec empire, which had millions of
people. Cortes had 50,000 Tlaxcalans backing him up for the re–conquest of Tenochtitlan, as well as
25,000 combined Indians allies.
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