Conquistadors And Golden Cups Of Chocolate Summary

Restall, Matthew. Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2003

During the time frame of 1450-1750, the Columbian Exchange was at its height of power and influence. Many products were introduced from foreign lands, like animals such as cattle, chickens, and horse, and agriculture such as potatoes, bananas, and avocados. Diseases also became widespread and persisted to distant lands where it wreaked devastation upon the non-immunized people. One such influential product during this time period was the cacao, or more commonly known as chocolate. First discovered and used in the Americas, cacao beans quickly traveled to and became a popular treat in European lands. It was valuable in the New World and even used as a currency by the Aztecs. Only the rich and privileged

For decades, the history of Latin America has been shrouded in a cover of Spanish glory and myth that misleads and complicates the views of historians everywhere. Myths such as the relationship between natives and conquistadors, and the individuality of the conquistadors themselves stand as only a few examples of how this history may have become broken and distorted. However, in Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest Matthew Restall goes to great lengths to dispel these myths and provide a more accurate history of Latin American, in a readable and enjoyable book.

Every artist's dream is to create something that leaves a lasting impression. The Last Conquistador follows the story of a sculptor who does exactly that. John Houser spent nearly a decade painstakingly crafted a 34-foot tall equestrian statue featuring the infamous Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate y Salazar. Following in the footsteps of his father who assisted in the carving of Mount Rushmore, Houser's fantasy of leaving his mark in one of the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world finally became a reality (Valadez). However, what an artist attempts to express and what message is truly received may not be one and the same. While the Hispanic elite of El Paso praised (and funded) the magnificent piece, the Acoma were horrified by the towering symbol of oppression and genocide looming overhead. This film not only provides a window into the conflict and controversy surrounding Houser's work, but also showcases several aspects of Texas political culture and highlights the dismissive attitude toward Native American culture that is still prevalent today.

The Colombian Exchange was an extensive exchange between the eastern and western hemispheres as knows as the Old World and New World. The Colombian exchange greatly affects almost every society. It prompted both voluntary and forced migration of millions of human beings. There are both positive and negative effects that you can see from the Colombian Exchange. The Colombian Exchange explorers created contact between Europe and the Americas. The interaction with Native Americans began the exchange of animals, plants, disease, and weapons. The most significant effects that the Colombian Exchange had on the Old World and New World were its changes in agriculture, disease, culture, and its effects on ecology.

In The Culinary Seasons of my Childhood, Jessica B. Harris- the author- attempts to help readers understand the relationship between food and identity. Harris gave a detailed, but relevant, description of how how food portrayed different cultures in her life and how it taught her many lessons about her family history and who she is; she also described how food brings people together as one and creates a connection that nothing else can. The author helps readers initially understand her ideas by showing examples of how food, even in the same culture, can reflect different social classes.“ Even though chitterlings might be on the menu, they could equally likely be accompanied by a mason jar of corn liquor or a crystal goblet of champagne”( Harris

Soldier and conqueror Bernal Díaz del Castillo in his book The True History of the Conquest of New Spain labeled Hernán Cortés “a valiant, energetic, and daring captain” and compared him to the likes of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Hannibal. Hernán Cortés was an ambitious conquistador and eventually defeated the mighty Mexican empire. A problem, however; emerges when distinguishing between the rational and romanticized versions of Cortés’ exploits. Bernal Díaz was present during the conquest, but his account was written much later and cannot be expected to be unbiased. Modern interpretations of Cortés can piece together all document and find that he stretched the truth to further his own gains. Cortés’ personality, goals, and actions have been interpreted differently since the days of the conquest, and have changed the way the conquest has been understood.

Chile was beginning to be conquered by the Spanish in the mid 16th century. The conquest begun with Diego de Almagro and Francisco Pizarro in 1536 and 1537 near the Maule River. They were searching for gold and civilization, found neither, and returned to Peru. The first conquest happened in 1540-1541, under the command of Pedro de Valdivia, which founded Santiago. During this time, there were at least 500,000 native people living in Chile (Britannica). Additionally, many of these cultures were intertwined. In Northern Chile, groups relied on fishing and farming, and this area was successfully taken under the influence of the expanding Inca empire. The Chincha and the Quechua who were apart of this empire also tried to conquer Central and

“Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power” (John Steinbeck). This quote directly compares to the book, The Chocolate Wars that tells an extraordinary story about a boy, Jerry Renault who rebells against the dictators of the school, The Vigils and the corrupted staff. Jerry’s rebellion leads him to his doom in an organized fight watched by the school showing the student body how dangerous power really is. In the book, The Chocolate War, the author, Robert Cormier portrays the uneasy lesson of how simple it is for power to corrupt people into dangerous, manipulating rulers by revealing the lack of jurisdiction the student body possesses, by developing awareness of the power of The Vigils, the supremacy of the

When the Spanish viceroy comes for an unscheduled visit to the monastery, the cook goes into a frenzy. What will they feed this important ambassador to the king? Carlos, the orphan boy who works in the kitchen, tries to stay out of the way as lunch is hastily prepared, but his curiosity gets the best of him. His eagerness results in a moment of crisis, followed by what Brother Roberto can only assume is a miracle. This story, inspired by the Mexican folk tradition, explains the origins of mole, the popular national dish that combines chocolate with turkey, spices, and nuts."

The global trends did impact Juan Garrido as an individual. The Columbian exchange didn't quite have a big impact on Juan Garrido, he had nothing to do with the Columbian Exchange, though he might have gotten some goods due to the Columbian Exchange. (no information given) Also, Mercantilism and Triangle Trade really did have an impact on him. This is because he knew about it (later on in his life) but wasn't in it, he was supposed to be a slave in the Americas though he ended up not being a slave. For that he was really thankful that he wasn't a part of it. Though he does use a gang of slaves in the mines once.... so if there wasn't any Columbian Exchange or any Triangle trade then he couldn't do half the stuff he did. He wasn't so affected

The Mexican Revolution is a unique aspect of Like Water for Chocolate in that it seems to be less of a theme and more of a concept. For example, some obvious themes would be love, family and food because this is what the story is about; without love or food, the story would simply not be the same. On the other hand however, even though the Mexican Revolution has a big impact on the storyline, it does not seem to affect the actual meaning of the story – the meaning and emotion would still be there if it were taking place in Mexico during another time. We therefore just see the Revolution as a concept in the background that makes life more difficult on the ranch, but we never stop to think that maybe there is a deeper meaning behind the Mexican

Hispaniola or la Espanola, named by Christopher Columbus after his landing in 1492, is one of the largest island lying in the Caribbean Sea. The island is divided politically into the Dominican Republic and Haiti. One island, barely a barrier and yet, two completely different cultures and two completely different nations. The island was divided as a result of colonization. While the French colonized the west part of the island, what is today known as Haiti, and the Spanish colonized the east part of the island and what is today known as the Dominican Republic. As a result of those two different colonizations by two completely different nations with different cultures, Haiti and the Dominican Republic became two nations. However, for two nations on the same island with similar ancestry and a similar history, the Dominican Republic and Haiti are in a position where they could help each other if they were ever a time help was needed. That is not the case. After colonization and they fought for their freedoms, the history between the two nations turned bitter. Therefore, the political relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is a tense affair between two embittered nations occupying one island.

Because the Indians and Spanish lived in different areas in Latin America, the Indian culture and society did not change significantly. Or did there society change?

Even from our own cultural perspective of the last half of the 20th Century, we have cast a different light on some artifacts of our progress such as the long-term effect of the imposition of the United Fruit Company in the region described in the book or the encounter between Francisco Pizarro and the Inca emperor Athualpa in the Andean highlands.