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 disgusting act, this trigged Spanish hatred for the Aztecs. When the Spanish saw the resources that the Aztecs had, they quickly started taking advantage of the Aztecs weaknesses. The Spanish had more power; they were better equipped than the Aztecs and more advanced. The Aztecs' leader Montecuhzoma was a weak leader, he was more of a coward, more concerned with his well being and safety than the safety of his people and kingdom so he quickly surrendered under pressure. The Spanish used surrounding enemy tribes to take over the Aztec lands, then began to massacre men, women and children. When the Aztec became angry and started to fight back, they were quickly wrecked by the diseases the Spanish brought with them such as small pox and measles. The Spanish were immune to these diseases because they were well known in Europe and they had been exposed to them for years, but the Aztecs weren't so entire villages were wiped out in just few weeks which cleared the way for the Spanish to entirely conquer and destroy the Aztec empire.…
What three factors contributed to the defeat of the Aztecs? Though there appear to be several factors involved in the defeat of the Aztecs, three stood out above the others: (1) superstition, (2) weapons and warring tactics, and (3) the introduction of new diseases.…
Spain is the most powerful monarchy in Europe and the Americas, wished to enrich themselves with the New World’s natural resources. They were not interested in creating a permanent society in the New World. Rather, they came for instant wealth, preferably in gold.…
Davilla, Erika. “Mexico’s Treasure.” Santa Fe New Mexican (2002): 1. Newspaper Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.…
The main people who were involved in the fall of the Aztecs were Montezuma the Aztec king, and Hernan Cortes- a Spanish conquistador. Hernan and his soldiers came in search of gold and riches in the new world. When they stumbled upon the Aztecs, Montezuma believed Cortes was a god and gave him precious stones and feathered crowns. The greedy Cortes wanted more and marched into the capitol. The Aztecs soon realized he was not a god, for a god would have preferred the feathered crowns more than the gold. Thus, the Aztecs were able to drive Cortes and his men out, only to kill Montezuma in the confusion. Cortes, furious, came back with many things on his side, including alliances, weapons, horses, geography, and disease. In 1521, the Aztec rein had finally come to an…
Anderson also shared his views of Miguel Leon-Portilla’s book The Broken Spears. According to Arthur J.O. Anderson even though Miguel Leon-Portilla’s book is mostly of the defeat, the chaos, and grief the Aztecs endured, it is also a story that wanted to remind Spain of their debt they owe to the Aztecs . In my opinion, I also felt that this story was written to make the Spanish aware of their dark history and chaos they brought to ancient Mesoamerica. The book is written in the Aztec perspective and it depicts the Spanish as greedy, careless men who tried to annihilate any trace of Mesoamerican culture and tried to enforce their own way of life. So I do agree with Anderson and feel that the Spanish do owe a huge debt to the natives of Mesoamerican. Anderson also discussed how many natives after the conquest of Mexico were taught by Spanish Francian friars to read and write Spanish and Latin as well as to put their native language into Latin. Unos annles de la nacion Mexicana written in 1528 put native accounts written in Nahuatl with Spanish translation from the Franciscan fathers into one source. The Broken Spears included writings which traced back to the first transliterations such as Unos annles de la nacion Mexicana or The Codex Florentino and many other accounts. Anderson deeply appreciated the energy, artistry and poetry that went in Miguel Leon-Portilla’s book. He felt that Leon-Portilla selected a decent background of the Aztec culture and used effective sources that told the descriptions of the natives very well. He felt that the reader would find Leon-Portilla’s work to be interesting, accurate, and useful to…
Cited: Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Print.…
The author of Mexican Lives, Judith Adler Hellman, grapples with the United States ' economic relationship with their neighbors to the south, Mexico. It also considers, through many interviews, the affairs of one nation. It is a work held to high esteem by many critics, who view this work as an essential part in truly understanding and capturing Mexico 's history. In Mexican Lives, Hellman presents us with a cast from all walks of life. This enables a reader to get more than one perspective, which tends to be bias. It also gives a more inclusive view of the nation of Mexico as a whole. Dealing with rebel activity, free trade, assassinations and their transition into the modern age, it justly captures a Mexico in its true light.…
The Spaniards initial and primary reason for travelling to the New World was for the discovery of gold and for power (Zinn, 2005). In addition to looking for gold and power, the Spaniards came looking for new land to claim (Locke et al, n.d.). The Spaniards came looking to conquer the new land for their profitable gain. Much of this conquering was very brutal and to the Native people’s disadvantages, especially when there wasn’t much gold to be had. “When it became clear that there was no…
spread civilization. When a certain power occupied the wealthiest country on earth at that time,…
Through the eyes of the Spaniards, discovering foreign lands and claiming them in the name of Spain was something honorable and dutiful. They saw no contradiction in gaining gold for the king while creating their own reputation. The methods in which they obtained such lands and wealth were not immoral, due to their since of duty and obligation. Many expeditions were started based on the rumors or tales of gold, but many end up the…
In every historical event there tends to be conflicting sides, each member has their own point of view based on a plethora of statistics. These statistics include but are not limited to, socio-economic classes, race, geographical boundaries, gender, etc. When two cultures interact for the first time there is bound to be some discrepancies over what truly occurred. These discrepancies are portrayed quite well through Bernal Diaz’s The Conquest of New Spain and The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, either side showed similarities, but at the same time they showed even more metamorphoses, making it nearly impossible to say either account holds more water than the other. The Aztec and Diaz agreed on two major points, the high ranking of Montezuma/Motecuhzoma and the accommodations the Spaniards were given, while variances included the light in which the Spaniards were depicted, and the motivation for the journey to Mexico.…
As a conquistador under the command of Hernán Cortes, Bernal Diaz witnessed some of Latin America’s most interesting and least chronicled history. He was fortunate enough to be one of a select few Europeans to experience the Aztec empire at its height and to visit Tenochtitlan prior to its downfall. In an era where personal accounts of the historical occurrences are almost nonexistent, Bernal Diaz’s The True History of the Conquest of New Spain provides virtually the only window into this period. As a result, his text has become the most significant historical document concerning the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Perhaps the most poignant excerpt from The True History of the Conquest of New Spain is Diaz’s detailed description of his first impressions of the Aztec capital and emperor Montezuma.…
Stuart B. Schwartz, ed. Victors and Vanquished, Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico.…
Bibliography: Clendinnen, Inga. "Fierce and Unnatural Cruelty: Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico" from Stephen Greenblatt ed. New World Encounters. University of California Press, 1993.…