The Conquest of New Spain Essay

Victors and the Vanquished, Schwartz poses the question of “How can we evaluate conflicting sources” (ix)? Through reading historical events such as the “Conquest of New Spain” there is an undeniably large amount of destruction of cultural material and bias testimonies of events recorded several years after they occurred. After analyzing the Spanish Conquest of Mesoamerica there is a debatable amount of evidence from the Mesoamericans and Spanish explanations of this event in history. The intentions of

student of history has come to recognize the fact that history is written by the victor and in lieu of this, research becomes essential to uncover where the truth lies. The True History of the Conquest of New Spain, so ironically named, is a personal account for historical events leading up to the conquest of New Spain, formerly known as the City of Mexico. The author, Bernal Diaz, was a soldier of the conquering army who composed the document well after the events took place sometime between 1552 and 1557

to the influence of the Church. Spain, the forerunner in the Age of Discovery, was a fervently Catholic country. During the 16th century, the monarchy combined the forces of "cross and crown" in its imperial policy; much to the dismay and ultimate destruction of the indigenous peoples of the New World. Through an examination of Aztec polytheism and the Catholicism of the conquistadors, comes the central role of religion in the successful conquest of New Spain. When

sources, for example, do not go into a lot of detail about the whole siege, instead they provide short descriptions of major events that occurred. The descriptions rarely provide full details about tactics used by either side. However, in The Conquest of New Spain, Bernal Diaz provides detailed descriptions of battles and the tactics used on both sides to try and take territory in the city. His account deals with the day to day battles, food shortages, tactics, mistakes, and pleas for surrender. The

Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s The History of the Conquest of New Spain provides an eyewitness account of the Spanish conquest over the indigenous Mayan empire. Diaz del Castillo’s recorded events serve as a way to “deepen our knowledge” and understand “the ways indigenous people struggled to maintain their sense of identity in the oppressive years of colonial society.” Indigenous women and colonial sexuality played a significant role in the conquest of New Spain. From the David Carrasco volume, Karen Vieira

Diaz del Castillo’s The History of the Conquest of New Spain provides an eyewitness account of the Spanish conquest over the indigenous Mayan empire. Diaz del Castillo’s recorded events serve as a way to “deepen our knowledge” and understand “the ways indigenous people struggled to maintain their sense of identity in the oppressive years of colonial society.” Indigenous women and colonial sexuality played a significant role in the imperialist conquest of New Spain. From the David Carrasco volume, Karen

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

del Castillo’s The History of the Conquest of New Spain provides an eyewitness account of the Spanish conquest over the indigenous Mayan empire. Diaz del Castillo’s recorded events serve as a way to “deepen our knowledge” and understand “the ways indigenous people struggled to maintain their sense of identity in the oppressive years of colonial society.” Indigenous women and colonial sexuality played a significant role in the imperialistic conquest of New Spain. From the David Carrasco volume, Karen

almost nonexistent, Bernal Diaz’s The True History of the Conquest of New Spain provides virtually the only window into this period. As a result, his text has become the most significant historical document concerning the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Perhaps the most poignant excerpt from The True History of the Conquest of New Spain is Diaz’s detailed description of his first

integral piece in the Spanish conquest of Mexico. After months of devastating warfare between the Aztecs and the Spanish as well as the infection of smallpox into the Aztec population, the Spanish conquered New Spain (Mexico) as their own, resulting in the Spanish occupation and rebuilding of Tenochtitlan. The reshaping of the city was an arduous and complex feat to say the least, as Hernan Cortés faced many challenges following the satisfying victory of the conquest. In order to determine these various