The conquest of Mexico is nonetheless one of the most significant turning points in history. It discovery was dominated with riches, expansion of ideas and new proclaimed land. Although not initially intending to sail sea in search of new land, “conquest,” rapidly became a focus, when the Americas was discovered. With an extreme difference in language, culture, etc., conquering the Americas would not have been successful without three factors being present; superior technology, immunity of carried diseases, and help form the Native People. To begin with, disease carried by the Spaniards unconsciously served as biological warfare. Their immunity to small pox, the common cold, and other diseases allowed them to carry a disease without being …show more content…
Native allies contributed by unifying with the Spaniards during battles and some serving as messengers/translators. Notably, it was Natives who had been subdued by overlords, who joined as Spanish allies. During the last battles, “Cortes himself noted… 75,000 indigenous allies supporting the Spanish units, ‘and’ Bernal Diaz mentioned 100,000 indigenous allies in engagements” (Schwartz 2000, 15). As a result, the numbers represent their significant participation of the fall of the Empire. In addition, Natives also served as translators. understanding the importance of communication during encounters, Diaz used messengers/ translators to communicate with the Indians (Schwartz 2000, 41). These translators helped communicate knowledge held by the Indians about land features and possible riches. Dona Mariana in particular was a valuable source during the conquest. She accompanied Diaz throughout wars. She spoke the languages of Coatzacoalcos and Tabasco (Schwartz 2000, 69). Being well respected among Indians, she was an influential asset. Without her help, they would not be able to understand the languages to help conquer New Spain (Schwartz 2000,
When the Europeans first came to the New World, They brought diseases from the Old World that the Native’s were immune to. This disease ravaged Tenochtitlan. This spread of infection was also so reciprocal.
Restall’s ultimate goal in writing this book is to provide readers and scholars alike with a more realistic viewpoint and history of the Spanish conquest. He wishes to dispel the many myths that accompany the epic tale so as to provide a better understanding of who the natives were and, more importantly to Restall, who the Spanish were. He does an excellent job of questioning the who, what, and where of the personalities and motives of the men involved in conquest. These questions are heartily answered in a well-written and easy to read history book.
One of the weaknesses of this book was the way in which a strong opinion of the author frequently came to the surface. The impression given when reading was one of bias in that the Spanish were wrong to come in and refine everything. This was reflected in the fact that periodically within the book, when the Spanish conquistadors did something to the Indians, it was pointed out how inhumane it was. Yet, when the Indians retaliated in some way, it was quickly pointed out how justified they were. The mentioned advantages that the Indians gained through the Spaniards were infrequent and underdeveloped.
In “The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas,” the authors point out that there were two channels in the transfer of food crops. One are unknown tropical spcies from the New World, which has affected on the growth of local cuisines. They are rich in calories and improving taste and vitamin intake. Otherwise, the Old World also brought certain crops. America gave a plenty of land that helped response the high food demand, and became the main supplies for Old World markets. In this way, they unknowingly carried many Old World diseases, such as smallpox, meales, and other diseases. They were unfamiliar to the Native America and they never had developed immunity to such disease. By the early 1600’s, the population of Indians decreased nearly 90%. Furthermore, Columbus’ sailors encountered sexually with native women Indians so that they brought the deadly bacteria unwittingly back to Europe. This reason led slavery system traded from Africa for labor requirement for cotton and tobacco plantation
For thousands of years mankind has felt an insatiable desire to explore. Many people groups from around the world have discovered and conquered new lands. The Spanish Conquistadors are among these. In the 1500s, there were many compelling incentives luring them to gain control of the Aztec Empire in New Spain (Mexico). What impelled the Conquistadors to conquer the Aztecs was a desire to spread the teachings of the Christian church, to gain wealth allowing them to establish roots in New Spain, and to develop relationships between the Aztecs and the continental Spaniards.
In the 16th century Spaniards Herman Cortes and Christopher Columbus set out on endeavoring journeys in search of new worlds. Christopher Columbus encountered, in the Caribbean islands, a group of extremely simplistic Native Americans. Herman Cortes however encountered a much more advanced Native American group in Meso America; we formally know this area to be Mexico. In my essay I will be comparing and contrasting several aspects between both of these Native American Civilizations including sophistication, technology, housing, weapons, religion and their reaction to the Spaniards. Letters written by Columbus and Cortes will be used to make these comparisons.
William Bradford William Bradford was one of the founders and long-time governor of the Plymouth Colony settlement. Born in England, in the year 1590, he migrated with the separationist congregation to the Netherlands. Bradford stayed in Netherland for more than a decade, a the idea of the Separatists congregations that they should journey to the New World was settling. Being the leader, Bradford handled the administrative duties majorly, he is looking into the financial aspect and the duties related to claiming of land. September 1620, a ship with 102 passengers, later known as the ‘pilgrims’ set sail forth England on the Mayflower.
One of things that was brought to Mexico during the Colombian Exchange, although unintentonally, was disease. The Spanish brought diseases such as smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, and mumps. These were diseases that the natives had not been exposed to, so they had no immunity to them. Even though the Spanish did have much more advanced weaponry than the natives, it was the diseases that wiped out most of the native population. It is believed that within a century of the arrival of the Spanish, the population of the Aztecs decreased by 80-95%, going from 12.5M to roughly about 1.5M in population (History of Disease). The Spanish shared the same fate, but not as severe, many died from syphillis. A disease that was much more dangerous during that time than it is today. (Columbian Exchange)
The Spaniard’s success was partially thanks, as referred to by Columbus, to the natives being frightened creatures without weapons. The natives, like the Aztec, believed in the
The Mexican Cession refers to America’s expansion due West to the Pacific River that would lead to the Mexican-American War, and Mexico would ultimately cede land to the growing United States. Reasons for the expansion can be related to America’s mentality of manifest destiny. People believed that even God himself had blessed the country for expansion and this only added fuel to what soon would lead to advancing uncharted territory. Conditions throughout were strong, but America had an expedition and a mission to uphold that would make the United States a world power for decades to come.
After the initial conquest of Mexico and South America it was time to develop the
The Spanish conquest of Mexico drastically influenced modern day Latin America, it generated a mixture of race, countless dialects, and religious syncretism with the Catholic faith. The conquest involved three main aspects that were crucial to its success. The rise of subdued indigenous people by the Mexica. The great devastation caused by European disease to the natives. Lastly, the Spaniards ruthlessness and military superiority. Without these aspects the conquest of Mexico might have gone a different direction
In 1519 Hernán Cortés led a couple hundred other Spaniards inland to the impressive Empire of the Mexica ruled by the Great Montezuma. Many historians today tell how quickly and almost effortlessly these Spaniards conquered the Empire. They paint an image of ignorant, helpless Indians practically giving up their land out of fear of this group because certainly the Spaniards must be gods since they have powerful weapons and strange animals. We know neither Cortés nor any of his men were gods, of course, but what was it that allowed Cortés to prevail over the inhabitants of the land?
Macbeth is a tragedy play written by William Shakespeare during the reign of James I. Whether fiction or non-fiction, it is hard to tell for the presence of witches in the plot might be interpreted as the embodiment of Macbeth’s ambitions although Banquo being able to see them too contradicts reality. The plot started off with Macbeth and Banquo defeating an invading army. They later met three witches who told Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, that he was to be the Thane of Cawdor, then King while Banquo was not but his son will.
As the Spanish began to settle in Latin America, they brought with them diseases that