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
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While the rest of the Eastern world was in the dark Middle Ages‚ the people here were flourishing. The Aztecs were the Native American people who dominated northern México at the time of the Spanish conquest led by Hernan CORTES in the early 16th century. According to their own legends‚ they originated from a place called Aztlan‚ somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small‚ nomadic‚ Nahuatl-speaking aggregation
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HISTORY OF MEXICO History Early History The Olmecs‚ Mexico’s first known society‚ settled on the Gulf Coast near what is now Veracruz. Remembered for the giant head sculptures they carved from native stone‚ the Olmecs had two main population centers: San Lorenzo‚ which flourished from about 1200 to 900 B.C.‚ and La Venta in Tabasco‚ which lasted until about 600 B.C. By 300 B.C.‚ villages based on agriculture and hunting had sprung up throughout the southern half of Mexico. Monte Albán‚ home to
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2. Montezuma was the king of the Aztec empire. He saw Cortez’ arrival‚ and mistakes him as myth God Quetzalcoatl. This God was banished centuries before and assured he would reappear the year that Cortez did. They meet him‚ and spoil him. He is even told he needs gold‚ so he can “eat” it. Cortez uses this to his advantage and claims all Spanish people are Gods. He kills 15‚000 Mexicans. He wants to replace the altars with crucifixes‚ which bother Aztecs. He takes over empire. 3. Spice Trade
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Quetzalcoatl One of the major deities of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl acknowledged as the “feathered serpent” has influenced the historic and social evolution of Latin American culture as implied by various images depicting the Plumed Serpent god. Meanwhile‚ socio-historical analysis of Quetzalcoatl worship and culture reveals different symbolisms and ancient functions involved in the Aztecs’ practices toward the god. Historically‚ the legend of Quetzalcoatl has originated
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Outline of “Cannibalism: It still exists” Concept / Assignment 1 Lilibeth Medina Cannibalism is normally seen as disgusting and perverse. Linh Kieu Ngo introduces to us the true aspects of cannibalism. It is not something done by perverse humans. It is actually a necessity‚ rather it be for survival or for religious purposes. I. Most people feel they know all there is to know about cannibalism; people eating people. It is a lot more complex and Ngo helps us understand. A. There are two
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During the Aztec period women were treated as second-class citizens‚ unimportant‚ except for bearing children. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs‚ they brought new customs. One of them was young women at the age of 15 had to choose between a life at marriage and a life dedicated to God. Today some traditions have change. When a girl turns fifteen‚ it is a tradition in Latin-American cultures that the girl receives a Quinceanera. A Quinceanera signifies the transition from being a girl into a young
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during this time period. Religion in the Americas varied between the different empires. Often the settlements would believe in a deity‚ or deities‚ that would affect their way of life‚ from their origins to their ability to grow crops. For example‚ the Aztecs had multiple Gods‚ and specifically built their capital‚ Tenochtitlan‚ around their beliefs‚ including shrines for their gods. “Tlaloc‚ the
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At Cahokia more than 100 flat topped mounds were covered with religious temples and elite dwellings. By the middle of the 13th century‚ the Aztecs moved south from Mesoamerica’s northern frontiers and settled into Central Mexico. These people built large temples and palaces adorned with brightly painted images of gods‚ gardens and marketplaces‚ the Aztecs were also a highly stratified society and included some 500‚000 people. The ruler or Chief Speaker shared governing power with the aristocracy
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the most powerful of all‚ the Aztec Empire. After Christopher Columbus “discovered” America‚ the Spaniards carried out expeditions to find gold and riches from these faraway lands. In 1521‚ about 500 Spanish soldiers arrived in Mexico‚ headed by an ambitious man: Hernán Cortés. At this time‚ the Aztecs had built a great empire that ruled over all Mesoamérica. So the Spaniards decided to direct their attacks towards them. The indigenous nations that were under the Aztec rule were tired of the physical
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