Surviving and Thriving in the New World
Surviving and Thriving in the New World
Mexico in the 16th century was a very dynamic place. Within a couple decades the Aztecs, the most powerful empire in their known world, will be taken over by a more powerful, previously unknown empire from an unknown world. What will it take for someone to survive in this time of clashing worlds? What would it take for someone to not only survive but thrive in this unstable time? There are many skill and traits that could contribute to the success or failure of both sides during this time. In 1519 and early 1520's it was the Spanish which were outcasts in a strange new land they knew little about. Their survival depended largely on the ability to effectively communicate with the indigenous people. In order to do this they would need reliable translators. People with a knack for learning new languages could probably make a pretty good profit if they could develop their linguistic skills to allow them to translate between the groups. If these people were slaves they obviously would not get the monetary gains of non-slaves. However they would be more valued than other common slaves, receive better treatment, and be a lot more likely to survive in this uncertain time period. Malintzin fell into this category. She had an aptitude for learning new languages and already knew a few languages from her previous experiences in life. She had the chance and drive to show her talent with languages and used it to not only survive but ultimately thrive. She was able to place her and her family in a better position because of the skills she had. When Negotiations failed the Spanish had to rely on their technology and training. The Spanish were vastly outnumbered in this new land. In order to survive they had to be skilled in combat techniques and know how to use their advanced equipment properly. The Spanish that were not properly trained or did not have much experience in combat most likely did not survive as well as those that
Mexico in the 16th century was a very dynamic place. Within a couple decades the Aztecs, the most powerful empire in their known world, will be taken over by a more powerful, previously unknown empire from an unknown world. What will it take for someone to survive in this time of clashing worlds? What would it take for someone to not only survive but thrive in this unstable time? There are many skill and traits that could contribute to the success or failure of both sides during this time. In 1519 and early 1520's it was the Spanish which were outcasts in a strange new land they knew little about. Their survival depended largely on the ability to effectively communicate with the indigenous people. In order to do this they would need reliable translators. People with a knack for learning new languages could probably make a pretty good profit if they could develop their linguistic skills to allow them to translate between the groups. If these people were slaves they obviously would not get the monetary gains of non-slaves. However they would be more valued than other common slaves, receive better treatment, and be a lot more likely to survive in this uncertain time period. Malintzin fell into this category. She had an aptitude for learning new languages and already knew a few languages from her previous experiences in life. She had the chance and drive to show her talent with languages and used it to not only survive but ultimately thrive. She was able to place her and her family in a better position because of the skills she had. When Negotiations failed the Spanish had to rely on their technology and training. The Spanish were vastly outnumbered in this new land. In order to survive they had to be skilled in combat techniques and know how to use their advanced equipment properly. The Spanish that were not properly trained or did not have much experience in combat most likely did not survive as well as those that