Summary Of Matthew Restall's Seven Myths Of The Spanish Conquest
When discussing the importance of Spanish alliances, it is important to discuss Matthew Restall’s interpretation of “the myth of the white conquistador”. A common myth in regards to the Spanish Conquest is that the Aztecs were conquered by a small group of white Spanish men. Within Restall’s book titled “Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest”, he debunks the myth of the white conquistadors. Restall’s argues that “there is no doubt that the Spanish were consistently outnumbered by native enemies on the battlefield. But what has so often been ignored or forgotten is the fact that Spaniards tended also to be outnumbered by their own native allies. Furthermore, the invisible warriors of this myth took an additional form, that of the Africans, free and enslave, who accompanied Spanish
…show more content…
What the Tlaxcala people gave to the Spanish is power in numbers, information, and safe territory. Upon the alliance between the Tlaxcala and the Spanish, the Spanish gained information regarding to the Triple Alliance and the city of Tenochtitlán. Tlaxcala had conflicted with the city of Tenochtitlán for some time, and would gladly march with their Spanish forces. The Tlaxcala helped provide the route to the city of Tenochtitlán, resulting in the confrontation with the Aztec leader Moctezuma. When the eventual battle began within the city of Tenochtitlán, only because of Tlaxcala did the Spanish survive their initial retreat during the “Noche Triste”. Due to the alliance with the Tlaxcala, the Spanish had the ability to regroup in an allied city resulting in only 860 of the initial 1300 Spaniards being killed. With the ability to regroup in friendly territory, the Spanish and their allies could product a successful counter attack, ultimately leading to the defeat of the Aztec. Another important ally to the Spanish was Doña Marina, who was a translator. With Doña Marina, the Spanish had the ability to both negotiate with the natives and inform the Spanish of possible plots against
What the Tlaxcala people gave to the Spanish is power in numbers, information, and safe territory. Upon the alliance between the Tlaxcala and the Spanish, the Spanish gained information regarding to the Triple Alliance and the city of Tenochtitlán. Tlaxcala had conflicted with the city of Tenochtitlán for some time, and would gladly march with their Spanish forces. The Tlaxcala helped provide the route to the city of Tenochtitlán, resulting in the confrontation with the Aztec leader Moctezuma. When the eventual battle began within the city of Tenochtitlán, only because of Tlaxcala did the Spanish survive their initial retreat during the “Noche Triste”. Due to the alliance with the Tlaxcala, the Spanish had the ability to regroup in an allied city resulting in only 860 of the initial 1300 Spaniards being killed. With the ability to regroup in friendly territory, the Spanish and their allies could product a successful counter attack, ultimately leading to the defeat of the Aztec. Another important ally to the Spanish was Doña Marina, who was a translator. With Doña Marina, the Spanish had the ability to both negotiate with the natives and inform the Spanish of possible plots against