Mesoamerica 1

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Design Problem

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this source cannot help me understand why the Spanish would do this. I can understand the 'Who', 'What', 'When', 'Where' and 'How' but not 'Why'. Why did the Spanish need more land? Why did they need to make "New Spain"? These questions cannot be answered through this source.

I can answer the question, "how did the Spanish capture the Aztec capital with less men than the people they were invading?" The answer is, they used forces that the Aztecs had never seen before. Smallpox was introduced, firearms were used and horses were brought over. The indigenous Aztec people did not know how to combat these things and were left powerless to stop them despite having more people than the Spanish.

Question: What questions can this source help me answer? What can it not?

The big ideas are that the Spanish were very clever in their plan to invade and Capture the Aztec capital. They planned to gain allies because they knew they would be outnumbered during the siege.

Question: What are the big ideas?

The perspective of Hernán Cortés is not fully represented. His true intentions were to invade and capture the Aztec capital. Here he is shown being friendly with the King in order to be accepted and gain access to what he needs.

Question: Whose perspectives are being ommitted?

Mesoamerica 1

La Malinche Image

Created by the Tlaxcalan people as a way to remind the Spanish of their loyalty as well as their own importance during the Conquest.

Each man is sat in a chair facing one another. They are depicted as though they are making conversation.

This image shows Cortés and his interpretor, La Malinche, meeting Montezuma

Allies of the Spanish Image

The Spanish participated in many battles similar to this as a way to gain allies. This helped them during the capture of Tenochtitlan

this image depicts a battle between the Otomies and the Spanish

the Spanish are fighting with their Tlaxcllan allies

Fall of the Aztec Empire

Death of King Moctezuma II

Reports of his death widely vary. Cortés reports that his countrymen simply stabbed him to death. Other accounts include being hit with stones and darts while standing on his balcony

He was killed during the early stages of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

Spanish invasion of Tenochtitlan, 1521

Spanish were aided by allies who were previous controlled by the Aztecs

Cortés and 600 of his men reach the Aztec capital and conquer it

Hernán Cortés invaded, seized and destroyed the Aztec city. He claimed Mexico for Spain

Smallpox, 1519-1520

The disease killed 5 to 8 million Aztecs

Subtopic

Smallpox was a European disease brought over by the Spanish