Ojal - Spanish and the Aztecs Document activity
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University of Southern California *
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Course
100
Subject
History
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
12
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Objective:
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect
interactions between the American civilizations and the Spanish?
●
Describe
how the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affected interactions
between the American civilizations and the Spanish.
Introduction
➡
Directions:
Respond to the questions below.
When the Spanish arrived in the Americas, there were already two well established empires, the Aztecs in modern day southern Mexico, and the Inca in
modern day Peru.
Adapted
image
was created by EuroHistoryTeacher and is published on Wikimedia Commons under a CC BY license.
1. What do you remember about the Aztec?
Located in mesoamerica specifically Mexico. Had a lot of art and architecture.
Tribute system.
2. What do you remember about the Inca?
Located in mesoamerica specifically south america. Llamas were domesticated
here. Many farmers. Agricultural techniques.
In search of wealth, glory, and
indigenous people to
convert to Christianity
, companies of
Spanish
conquistadors
ventured into the American continent.
The two most well known expeditions were those that led to the conquest of powerful empires
that already existed in the Americas: the Aztecs and Inca. The first, led by a conquistador named
Hernando Cortes
, defeated the Aztecs (1518-1520). The second was led by
Francisco Pizarro
in
1532 during which he and his fellow conquistadors conquered the Inca.
Adapted
image
was created by EuroHistoryTeacher and is published on Wikimedia Commons under a CC BY license.
Painting of conquistadors praying,
Margaret Duncan Coxhead, 1909.
Contextualize
What occured when the Spanish and American civilizations interacted?
➡
Directions:
Read the descriptions of the conquests of the Aztecs and Inca below, then answer the questions that follow. As
you read, note the similarities and differences between the two stories.
Conquest of the Aztecs
"The Conquest of Tenochtitlán,"
Unknown artists, Mexico; second half of 17th
century; oil on canvas.
Adapted
image
was created by EuroHistoryTeacher and is published on Wikimedia Commons under a CC BY license.
In 1519,
Hernan Cortes
, a Spanish
conquistador,
landed on the coast of Mexico with 450
soldiers to lead an expedition in hopes of riches. There were previous reports of a great
empire and gold in the area. On his way to the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, Cortes
fought and defeated other tribes, who then became the Spaniards’ allies. Many of the
tribes that Cortes came in contact with were ruled by the Aztecs and resented the
power they had over them. Those tribes saw working with the Spanish as an
opportunity to defeat the Aztecs and to gain power for themselves.
1. Why did Hernan Cortes and 450 soldiers land on the coast of Mexico?
He heard of great riches and gold on the coast of Mexico.
2. What decision did indigenous tribes conquered by Cortes decide? Why?
They decided to work with the Spanish and side with them because they were
previously ruled by the Aztecs. The Aztecs assured power over the indigenous tribes
which the Cortes did not like.
On November 8, 1519, Cortes, his men, and his indigenous allies were welcomed into
Tenochtitlan by the Aztec ruler Moctezuma. Cortes took Moctezuma captive and held
him prisoner in one of the Aztec palaces. Cortes demanded gold and other valuables as
ransom.
3. What did Cortes do when he met Moctezuma, the Aztec ruler? Why?
Cortes captured Moctezuma, and held him as a prisoner. Cortes wanted gold and
riches and was able to demand these with Moctezuma in captivity.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
At the same time, the Spanish Governor in the Americas, who felt that Cortes had exceeded his authority, landed in Mexico with 800 soldiers to arrest him. Cortes left
Tenochtitlan to deal with the Governor. He ambushed the Governor's troops, forced them to surrender, imprisoned the governor, and integrated the newly arrived soldiers into
his own army and returned to Tenochtitlan.
4. What did Cortes do when the Spanish governor arrived in Mexico? Why?
Cortes imprisoned the governor as well as attacked his troops and made them into Cortes’s new soldiers. He did this because the governor and the troops were planning on
arresting Cortes which he did not want, as well being able to assert power over the governor.
While he was away, the Spanish soldiers in Tenochtitlan massacred 10,000 Aztecs during a festival, according to one source. The atrocity turned the Aztecs in the city and in the
surrounding lands against the Spanish. They drove the Spanish into one of the palaces. Cortes, his new troops, and indigenous allies managed to get to the other Spaniards in the
palace. The Aztecs prevented the Spanish from getting any supplies, and finding no use for him, the Spanish killed Moctezuma.
5. What happened to Moctezuma? How did this consolidate Cortes’ power?
Moctezuma was killed. This gave Cortes’ power as it prevented the Aztecs from preventing the Spanish from getting supplies.
After a difficult and bloody escape from Tenochtitlan, Cortes and his men regrouped in the area around the Aztec capital. Cortes visited tribes that were conquered and
controlled by the Aztecs to try and win allies. He was willing to promise them anything so he could take over Tenochtitlan, though the Spanish government later denied any rights
those tribes claimed to land or riches. Because of the harsh rule of the Aztecs, the Spanish gained the support of a large number of tribes.
During this time, the Aztecs also regrouped. They repaired their city from the damage the Spanish caused, but they also suffered from a smallpox epidemic brought to the city by
the Spanish that killed many in the capital. Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan to conquer it with new supplies from the Spanish in Cuba, 86 horsemen, 118 crossbowmen and
arquebusiers [gunmen], and 700 Spanish foot soldiers, and an expanded group of warriors from allied tribes.
Cortes started his assault on the Aztec capital by cutting off the city’s freshwater supply and preventing any food from getting into the city in an attempt to starve the inhabitants.
Then, when it came time to attack, he sent troops on boats assembled on Lake Texcoco in which Tenochtitlan was centered, and invaded the city through its causeways.
It took eighty days for the Spanish to defeat the Aztecs. Two-hundred and forty thousand Aztecs are estimated to have died, and only 900 of Cortes’s troops survived. Though
they did not benefit from the victory in the long run, the Spanish success was largely due to the efforts of Cortes’ indigenous allies who might have numbered as many as
200,000.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
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6. What strategies did Cortes and his allies use to defeat the Aztecs?
Cortes tried to win over the tribes that were controlled by Aztecs. He cut off the city’s freshwater supply and prevented food in the city which starved the Aztecs citizens.
Invaded the city of Aztec.
This passage was adapted by New Visions from the
Battle of Tenochtitlan
in New World Encyclopedia which is published under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
Conquest of the Inca
The meeting between Francisco Pizarro and the Inca emperor
Atahualpa. Drawn by Felipe Guáman Poma de Ayala an Inca man
who fought for indigenous rights and wrote the book
El Primer
Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno
.
Image
is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and is public domain.
In 1532, after reports of gold, silver, and emeralds in Ecuador, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto, and 180 other
Spanish conquistadors mounted an expedition into South America hoping to find wealth and glory.
7. Why did Pizarro and 180 conquistadors go on an expedition to South America?
They heard of all the gold and glory in South America.
At one point in their journey, De Soto was sent to explore new lands and returned to Pizarro with men that were sent
by the Inca emperor Atahualpa to invite Pizarro and his men to meet with him. At the time, the Inca empire was
divided and engaged in a civil war. Pizarro formed alliances with tribes who opposed the Inca. In addition, the entire
Inca empire was suffering from an epidemic of smallpox which decimated the population.
8. How did the civil war in the Incan empire help Pizarro consolidate his power?
Pizarro was able to win over the tribes and people that were against the Inca. He was able to ally with these tribes
and gain power over them.
After two months of marching, Pizarro and his troops came to one of the Inca king’s retreats near Cajamarca to meet
with him. De Soto met with the king but Atahualpa told the Spaniard to leave the Inca empire saying he would “be no
man’s tributary.” In response, Pizarro organized his troops, attacked Atahualpa's army and captured him in what
became known as the Battle of Cajamarca. Thousands of Inca died in the battle, but none of the Spanish soldiers did.
Pizarro executed Atahualpa’s 12-man honor guard and held the king for ransom. Though the Inca filled one room with
gold and two with silver, Pizarro executed Atahualpa on August 29, 1533.
A year later, Pizarro invaded Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire, with indigenous troops and with it sealed the
conquest of the Inca.
9. What strategies did Pizarro and his allies use to finally defeat the Incas?
He knew the Inca were weak after the civil war. He met with the king and then attacked the Incas.
This passage was adapted by New Visions from the
Francisco Pizarro
in New World Encyclopedia which is published under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 license
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
Compare
➡
Directions:
Using the text above, respond to the questions below.
1. What common strategies did Hernan and Pizarro use to conquer the indigenous people of the Americas?
Both of them used miliatry tactics to conquer the indigenous people. They both tried to use the fact that the indigenous people were
against the empire to form alliances with them. They both killed the kings of the empires to assert their power.
2. How were the strategies used by Hernan and Pizarro to conquer the indigenous people of the Americas different?
In contrast to Pizarro, Hernan made promises, brought illnesses, had help from Cuba, and the fact that the Inacans were struggling with
hunger to conquer indigenous people. Hernan on the other hand pormsed the people many things which were different from Pizarro.
Pizarro used fighting among the indigenous people and Inca to help him conquer the indigenous by promising to help them. He used the
fighting and chaos as a way to side with the indigenous.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
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Contextualize
Think Like a
Geographer
Historic and Geographic Context: How did the geographic and historical context of
the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American
civilizations and the Spanish?
Despite being outnumbered in unfamiliar areas, the Spanish troops led by Cortes in Mexico and Pizarro in Peru defeated the Aztecs and
Inca. Why?
One scholar named
Jared Diamond
wrote a book called
Guns, Germs, and Steel
in which he argues that the reason for European
domination did not have to do with intelligence or race, but geography. He claims that the European access to large domesticated animals
and the diseases they produced, the materials needed to make advanced weapons, and the collective knowledge of other societies in
Europe, Asia, and Africa, made it possible for the Spanish to defeat the isolated native Americans.
➡
Directions:
As you watch excerpts of the video “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” (
Part 7
,
Part 8
,
Part 9
,
Part 10
,
Part 11
,
Part 12
) explain each
of the factors that Diamond believes led to the conquest of the Americas in the spaces below. If time allows, start with Part 7 and watch
through. If not, skip to the sections indicated below.
Context
(Part 7, 0:00-End; Part 8, 0:00-7:15)
Guns
(Part 8, 7:15-end)
1. What is the focus of Jared Diamond’s research? What questions is he trying to
answer?
4. Why did the Spanish have guns, but the Inca did not? How was it related to their
geographic contexts?
Jared wanted to answer why the European’s actual were actually able to
gain power and dominate the Americas. He answers what helped the
Europeans dominate.
Spanish was closer to China where gunpowder was diffused. Spanish was
also closer to the Fertile Crescent.
2. Large domestic animals like horses, cows, pigs, goats, and sheep existed in Europe
and had been a part of European, Asian, and African lives for centuries by the 1500s,
but these animals were not native to the Americas. Instead, llamas were the only
large domesticated animals that the Inca had.
What advantages did people in Europe, Asia, and Africa have because they had large
domestic animals like horses and cows?
5. What effect did arquebuses have on the Inca?
The Spanish used them to dominate over the Inca. Destroy Inca cities.
Large domestic animals allowed the Europeans to easily access food and
artillery.
3. What perceptions of the Spanish Conquistadores might the Inca have had?
The Inca probably were confused and thought the Spanish were weird for
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
bringing these big animals.
Steel
(Part 9, 0:00- 4:12)
Germs
(Part 11, 6:02-End; Part 12, 0:00- 4:58)
6. Why did Europeans have the technology to create effective swords, but the Inca did
not? How was it related to their geographic contexts?
11. Why were Europeans exposed to smallpox before the 1600s, but the Inca were
not? How was it related to their geographic context?
Europeans were closer to the Mongols and Chinese who used this artillery.
The Mongols and Chinese artillery and weapons diffused to Europe.
Europeans were in contact with animals which had smallpox. Animals were
pigs, cows, and horses.
Collective Learning
(Part 9, 8:26-end; Part 10, 0:00-6:28)
7. How did collections of books like the one featured in the video help the Spanish
defeat the Inca?
12. Why was smallpox so devastating for the native americans but not for the
Europeans?
In the books there were military strategies which the Spanish read about
and used.
Europeans had access to more medical innovations such as medicine which
the native americans did not.
8. Why did the Europeans have writing? What innovations helped the creation and
spread of books in Eurasia?
13. What impact did smallpox have on the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Inca?
Europeans had writing because of the invention of the Gutenburg press.
Printing books helped with the diffusion of them.
It was easy to gain power over them because they were already weak
because of the smallpox disease. Many of the Aztecs and Inca also had died
because they lacked medicine.
9. Why did the Inca not have writing even though the Maya and Aztecs did? How was
it related to their geographic contexts?
Inca did not have an alphabetic system. In the Americas ideas and
innovations were spread from west to east, not north to south. This is
because of the change in climate and weather north to south so many ideas
were not diffused. The Inca were all the way in the south of Maya and
Aztecs, so the ideas and innovations did not diffuse.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
A Deadly Disease:
Smallpox
Image
is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and is public domain.
➡
Directions:
Using the text and images presented, respond to the questions
below.
Historia general de las cosas de nueva España
(General history of the things of New
Spain) was compiled by
Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (1499–1590), a Spanish
missionary who arrived in Mexico in 1529.
It includes information about
the people
and culture of central Mexico.
. . . an epidemic broke out, a sickness of pustules. It began in Tepeilhuitl. Large
bumps spread on people; some were entirely covered
. . . .
[The victims] could no
longer walk about, but lay in their dwellings and sleeping places, . . . And when
they made a motion, they called out loudly. The pustules that covered people
caused great desolation; very many people died of them, and many just starved to
death; starvation reigned, and no one took care of others any longer.
Source: Excerpt and illustration from Sahagún, Historia general de las cosas de Nueva
España, c. 1575-1580; L
ockhart, James , ed., tr.,.
We The People: Nahuatl Accounts of the
Conquest Mexico
. N.p.: U of California Press , 1993. Print.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
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the Spanish?
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[...] But weapons alone can't account for the breathtaking speed with which the indigenous population of the New World were completely wiped out.
Within just a few generations, the continents of the Americas were virtually emptied of their native inhabitants – some academics estimate that approximately 20 million
people may have died in the years following the European invasion – up to 95% of the population of the Americas.
No medieval force, no matter how bloodthirsty, could have achieved such enormous levels of genocide. Instead, Europeans were aided by a deadly secret weapon they weren't
even aware they were carrying: Smallpox.
Smallpox is a viral infection which usually enters the body through the nose or throat. From here the virus travels to the lungs, where it multiplies and spreads to the lymphatic
system. Within a few days, large pustules begin to appear all over the victim's skin.
Starting with the hands and the face, and then spreading to cover the rest of the body, each blister is packed full of smallpox DNA. If punctured, these blisters become highly
infectious, projecting fresh smallpox particles into the air and onto surrounding surfaces -such as someone else's skin. It is a disease that requires close human contact to
replicate and survive. [...]
Yet the people of the New World had no history of prior exposure to these germs. They farmed only one large mammal – the llama – and even this was geographically isolated.
The llama was never kept indoors, it wasn't milked and only occasionally eaten – so the people of the New World were not troubled by cross-species viral infection.
When the Europeans arrived, carrying germs which thrived in dense, semi-urban populations, the indigenous people of the Americas were effectively doomed. They had never
experienced smallpox, measles or flu before, and the viruses tore through the continent, killing an estimated 90% of Native Americans.
Smallpox is believed to have arrived in the Americas in 1520 on a Spanish ship sailing from Cuba, carried by an infected African slave. As soon as the party landed in Mexico,
the infection began its deadly voyage through the continent. Even before the arrival of Pizarro, smallpox had already devastated the Inca Empire, killing the Emperor Huayna
Capac and unleashing a bitter civil war that distracted and weakened his successor, Atahuallpa.
In the era of global conquest which followed, European colonizers were assisted around the world by the germs which they carried. A 1713 smallpox epidemic in the Cape of
Good Hope decimated the South African KhoiSan people, rendering them incapable of resisting the process of colonization. European germs also wreaked devastation on the
aboriginal communities of Australia and New Zealand.
"The Story Of... Smallpox – and other Deadly Eurasian Germs."
Guns, Germs, and Steel
. Lion Television, n.d.
Web
. 6 Aug. 2017.
1. According to the documents above, how did smallpox help the Spanish to gain, consolidate, and maintain power in their colonies?
The Spanish brought smallpox with them which killed many Native Americans and made them weak and sick. This made it easy to gain and maintain power
over the colonies. It made it easier for the Spanish to conquer more lands. None of the Spanish were affected so they were stronger then the Natives.
2. What impact did the introduction of smallpox have on the growth of African slavery?
It led to the decrease of African slavery. This was because Africans did not have a good immunity or did the medicine to fight off the disease.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
3. What impact did the introduction of smallpox have on the population of the indigenous people?
Smallpox killed and made a bunch of indigenous people weak. The population of the indigenous went down because of small pox. 90% of their population
had died.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
FA
SQ 7.
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions
between the American civilizations and the Spanish?
➡
Directions:
Using evidence from the information above, respond to the task below in the space provided.
Think Like a
Geographer
Contextualization
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
The Spanish had arrived in the Americas in the 16th century. The Inca were located in South America, and the Aztecs were located in
Mexico. The Spanish were able to gain and maintain power over both these empires for many different reasons. The Spanish had more
advanced weapons then the Inca and Aztecs because the Spanish was closer to the Fertile Crescent where the advanced weapons were
innovated. Many of the people living in the Aztecs and Inca such as indigenous tribes did not like the rule of their empires, so when the
Spanish arrived in these areas they were able to win over the tribes. The Spanish also brought diseases such as smallpox with them
which wiped out many inhabits of the Inca and Aztecs. This was because the American civilizations did not have the advanced medicine
to fight off these diseases. American civilizations were geographically isolated from Eurasia which is where most of the technological
advancements were.
UNIT 9 | Interactions and Disruptions|
How did the geographic and historical context of the Spanish, Aztecs, and Inca affect interactions between the American civilizations and
the Spanish?
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