Why Did The Americans Conquer The Aztecs

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
on China and its people.
The Europeans were able to conquer the Incas and Aztecs because of their geography, giving them the upper hand in weapon technology.
In Jared Diamond’s documentary Guns, Germs, & Steel, he states that the guns and steel, such as swords and shields, from the Fertile Crescent helped the Spaniards conquer the Incas. Because the Europeans lived closer to the Fertile Crescent, they were able to receive more advanced weapon technology faster than the Incas/Aztecs helping them take over their land much faster and more efficiently. This is further supported in the reading Broken Spears, where the author translates the account of the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in Nahuatl. At one point during the takeover, “The Spaniards fired one of their cannons, and this caused great confusion in the city... They were all overcome by terror, as if their hearts had fainted.” Again, advanced technology that the Europeans had played a major role in helping succeed in this conquest since the Aztecs were not yet exposed to such weaponry. The cannons and guns that most are familiar with in present day were completely foreign to both the Aztec and Inca people because of their disadvantage in their location of geography. The terror of unfamiliarness made it easier for the Europeans to succeed in their
invasions.
On the other hand, because of the Portuguese’s geography, being far away from China resulted in stereotypes underestimating the Chinese and their beliefs. In the reading When Asia Was the World the author, Stewart Gordon, states that, “Pires called the Persians strong, because they were white. In describing the warring kingdoms of peninsular India, Pires said, ‘The man who has the most white men in his kingdom is the most powerful.’ In this simple scheme, the Chinese were white and therefore should have had a natural affinity for the Portuguese. The Chinese, however, saw things quite differently.” Since the Portuguese had certain stereotypes about race conjoined with power, it led them to misjudge and underestimate China and its people. Although these stereotypes were false in the hands of the Chinese, it still moved the Portuguese to conclude that their takeover would automatically go smoothly, causing a major outbreak between the two. Earlier on in the reading, Gordon explains how, “The Portuguese never recognized that local history, regional loyalty, and family rivalry might be far more important than whether people were Christians or heathens.” Again because the Portuguese focused in on their stereotypes and didn’t recognize the beliefs and events already in China, their shortsightedness led to the consequences of a cultural collision.
Geography for Spaniards resulted in the success of conquering the Incas/Aztecs, while geography for the Portuguese led them to falsely judge the Chinese and its people.