Another point of confusion for the Aztecs was that their god, , Quetzalcoatl, went away and was to return from the east. The Spaniards, sailing in from the east, had vast variety of technological advantages. The Aztecs confused Cortes and his crew as elites because they were in a way better equipped in all ways. This still should not knock the intellect of the Aztecs. The extremely accurate calendars and agricultural genius are just two examples of the actual intellect of the Aztecs. The Spaniards did not outsmart the Aztecs; they, per say, were outsmarted by coincidence and their own intellect.…
The Spanish conquered the Aztec for many reasons like new resources and goods. The Spanish could have conquered the Aztec for new resources like gold. According to Document C “Aztec account of the conquest”, “When the Spaniards were installed in the place, they asked Motecuhzoma about the city’s resources and reserves… They questioned him closely and then demanded gold.” Under those circumstances, the Spaniards could possibly conquered the Aztecs to become wealthier and have more supplies and new resources. Not only did the Spanish conquer the Aztec for more gold, but also for new goods. According to Document B “Cortes’ Letter to the King of Spain”, “Of all the things created on land, as well as in the sea… had…
The people being conquered hated the Aztecs, so with the help of Malinche, Cortes formed alliances with the natives and got them to agree to fight the Aztec. Moctezuma, the emperor, feared the worst. Messengers brought news…
Cortes’ ardent determination to bring back wealth, gold, and conquer the Aztecs’ most sacred land, Tenochtitlan, wasn’t enough to defeat them in a hard fought battle. Determination was just one of the many factors that helped the Spaniards defeat the pious Aztecs. The main five factors consist of the, Spanish Worldview, Aztec Worldview, Military Technology, Military Strategy, Spread of Disease. However, out of all of these factors, the most important would be Military Technology due to all the advantages it gave the Spaniards and Cortes. Just some few examples can explain the incredible benefits they gained.…
The worshiped a war-god, called Huitzilopochtli, which he was identified with the sun and their war god. Their religion has them human sacrifice, and it has a huge role in war as well, the Aztecs would not fight to kill, but they fought to capture. While the Spanish were ready to kill. The Spanish had a full advantage in technology, since they were the side that were fighting to kill they had the equipment to do so. They had cannons on their ships and carried shields and swords, while the Aztecs had spears and wooden shields. Although technology was a major reason of the defeat, another reason for the defeat was the lack of…
The Spaniards allied with the Tlaxcalan indians and marched into Tenochtitlan. Montezuma welcomed in Quetzalcoatl’s men with open arms, but Hernan Cortes seized power of the empire by using Montezuma as a figurehead against his will, while Cortes made all the real decisions. Cortes acted as a secret leader until 1520, when events caused tension to escalate, and Cortes demanded Montezuma command his people obey the Spaniards. The Indians didn’t like this at all, and showered their leader in stones, he then went on to die days later in June of 1520. The spanish originally went to Mexico to search for land and gold, or other plunders because they had no prosperity back home in Spain. When they reached Mexico, they discovered the Aztec people and the native indians of the land, and decided to try to eliminate them and their ways (cannibalism, human sacrifices, etc. didn’t appeal to the Spanish, and they didn’t want people like that inhabiting the same land as…
In Aztec time, their self made weapons had changed dramatically after the arrival of the Spanish. Aztec weapons were improved with much stronger ones from the Spanish. There are a few long and short term effects between both of the nations. This essay will explain the short and long term effects of the arrival of the Spanish on Aztec warfare.…
Cortes came to this new land with weapons and soldiers therefore they didn’t come to make friends they came for conquest and war. A man coming with an army is coming looking for war not looking for peace. The Spanish have also had a horrible record of violence against the Aztecs one being the Massacre at the festival of Toxcatl. One Aztec wrote of the account of what took place “Once they had done this, they entered the Sacred Patio to kill people. They came on foot, carrying swords and wooden and metal shields. Immediately, they surrounded those who danced, then rushed to the place where the drums were played. They attacked the man who was drumming and cut off both his arms. Then they cut off his head [with such a force] that it flew off, falling far away. At that moment, they then attacked all the people, stabbing them, spearing them, wounding them with their swords. They struck some from behind, who fell instantly to the ground with their entrails hanging out [of their bodies]. They cut off the heads of some and smashed the heads of others into little pieces” (Aztec Account of Massacre at the Festival of Toxcatl)…
Montezuma, who was the ruler of the Aztecs, had a funny feeling about them. Not too long after they arrived, the Aztecs realized that the Spanish could be killed just like their other enemies, so they went to war. They caught some of the Spanish, killed some of them, even ate some. The Spanish won out because of their preparation, and because they brought so many diseases with them, it killed some of the Aztecs as well. The Spanish came to the Aztecs land, and the Aztecs thought that this was the 'God' that they had been waiting for. They treated the Spanish with riches and lavish food, as they would a God. They only treated them to the finest of treasures because they were sure this was what they were looking for. The Spanish reported that they 'were sickened by the people's shocking routines', which was mentioning toward the sacrifice they saw. Then, when the Spanish tried to take advantage of what the Aztecs had given them, they realized they weren’t the Gods they thought they were looking for. So they cut them off. Conversely, the Spaniards had the horses, firearms, and they had most of the people of the Aztec society on their side. With that being said, the Spaniards didn’t like how the Aztec land was being run. With these people and the Spanish's knowledge expansions, they overthrew the Aztec Empire. After the Aztecs were conquered by the Spaniards, they were turned into…
The Spanish conquistadors were successful in their battles against the inhabitants of the New World largely due to the native disunity among the various tribes of Mexico. Local tribes had differing political, religious, and cultural beliefs, and often waged wars against each other. As a result, an enemy’s enemy often became an ally, as evidenced in Cortes’ alliance with the Tlaxcalteca group. Tlaxcalteca was an enemy of Cholula, and members in the Traxcalteca community “brought certain rumors to Cortes, so that he would destroy [the Cholula]” (40). When the Spaniards heard this, they were “guided and accompanied by the Tlaxcaltecas… and they marched in battle array.” Tribes which allied with Cortes provided rations, man power, and information of the New World which significantly helped Cortes on his conquest in the New World. Hence, Spaniards were able to achieve success in their war efforts largely because of their alliances with other Native American tribes.…
Christopher Columbus sailed to earn money and recognition and spread Christianity and by liberating Jerusalem from Muslim rule. When he first stepped in America, he already saw the people as potential slaves and a place to mine gold. Other conquerors that made contact with Aztecs, angered them when the Spaniards raided his palace and stole Aztec’s treasures. Spain sent more people…
The Spanish benefited from all this, as they were able to capitalize on the workforce and land the conquering of the Aztecs provided. Additionally, because they capitalized on the land, resources, and natives, the Spanish gained power in all facets of a civilization, reaping an exponential positive gain from the New World. Another document that could be needed to show all facets of the cultural and political shifts of the New World, is an Aztec or other tribes King’s response to Spanish intrusion, and whether or not they approved and welcomed the changes. Due to Spanish intervention, the New Worlds political, economical, social, and cultural aspects all shifted and changed, damaging the natives heritage and wellbeing, but improving the amount of land, resources, and workforce that was available to the Europeans, benefiting…
Taking place in the Americas and China from the 16th and 17th century, European experiences in these foreign lands greatly resembled and differed in many ways. Although one would expect the same victorious outcomes that many European groups did result in while conquering different worlds, these operative strategies did not always work for all. Different countries and civilizations clearly have different views and beliefs on the world around them; therefore when the Europeans did not account for this, a cultural collision, when one or more cultures are integrated into one environment causing disruption, was produced. While geography helped the Spaniards conquer the Incas/Aztecs militarily, geography for the Portuguese led to false assumptions…
MAIN BODY The arrival of the Spanish affected significantly how the Aztecs lived and how they were treated. The encomienda system was established, this system that the Spanish settlers were entrusted with their own communities of natives called ‘encomiendas’ that served beneath their jurisdiction. The natives had to provide labour and tributes for their overlords, or ‘encomenderos’. Hernan Cortes, became arguably the most famous conquistador, once stated “I came to get gold, not till the soil like a peasant”.…
The history of slavery between the Spanish and the Aztec was well known. Each nation thought of the enslavement differently. The Aztec society was focused on producing good citizens who would contribute to the community. Each citizen had to live by the written laws that have been made by the Aztecs. In Tenochtitlan you could become a slave if you violate the law. Unlike slaves in Europe, the Aztec’s perspective of being a slave was not shameful, but simply viewed as bad luck. Despite their position in the society, the Aztecs established laws to protect the rights of the slaves, because of imperative work that they had performed. Slaves had the right to keep their property and even their own slaves. Nobles could be executed for beating a slave to death. The Aztec philosophy of slavery consisted of improving your mindset and developing your freedom which meant that slavery was not considered permanent. An Aztec slave could buy back their liberty by showing that they have been abused, run to the emperor’s palace, have children which were born free or get married to their commander in the higher level. After the discovery of the New World, Christian colonists decided to use slaves for labor and improvement of Spain. During their exploration, the Spanish converted many Indigenous people to Christianity and abolished their culture. A big population of the Indigenous people were used as slaves. More than 90 million of the Indigenous people died from diseases and the harsh work brought by the Spanish. To increase their income, Christian Spain also traded slaves with other nations. Zero respect was given from the Spanish to their slaves who could not earn back their freedom and faced death as the only choice of survival. By looking at how each of these nations managed the enslavement in their societies, it is hard to believe that the Spanish and the Aztec shared any similarities about it.…