Chapter 10: A Deadly Meeting

Unit 2: Worldviews in Conflict

Inquiry Question

►How might differences in worldview contribute to the dominance of one culture over another?

Vocabulary

►Conquistador

►Muskets

►Epidemic

►Intermediary

►Mayan

►Nahuatl

A Deadly Meeting

►Read page 215 of the text book and answer the following question:

Based on what you have learned about Spanish and Aztec society, what aspects of technology, religion, and culture do you think might affect the meeting between them?

Cortes, the Conquistador

►Born in Spain.

►Believed the Inquisition had produced Spanish unity and stability.

Spain was a better place to live.

► Idolized Columbus

Moved to the colonies when he was 19.

Desire for gold and fortune.

Cortes, the Teenager

►Constant trouble for his parents.

►Restless.

►Mischievous.

► “Bully.”

► Perfect to become a conquistador.

Conquistador

►Means “conqueror.” Was the term the Spanish leaders in the Americas used to describe themselves.

Did You Know!?

►Cortes’ desire for gold was the inspiration behind the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. A group of pirates are cursed after stealing Aztec gold from Cortes.

A Not-So-Secret Formula

►Given farm land in present-day Dominican.

►Wanted gold instead.

►Asked to join a mission to conquer Cuba

Did so with only 300 men.

The Conquistadors’ Formula

► An expedition would set out from a recent colony.

The Conquistadors’ Formula

► After landing in a new region, the Spanish would try to meet peacefully with the first group they encountered. Aim was to determine which group was the most powerful.

The Conquistadors’ Formula

► Spanish would invite leader of the most powerful group to meet and exchange gifts. They would seize the leader and threaten to kill him unless Spanish orders were obeyed.

The Conquistadors’ Formula

► If they had to fight, the Spanish would do so on open ground. Their horses, armor, and weapons gave them a huge advantage.

The Conquistadors’ Formula

►The leader of the expedition would remain as governor of the new colony and his second-in-command would organize the next mission. The Indigenous people would be forced into slavery.

Richest Man Ever to Cross Seas

►Cortes remained in Cuba for 8 years.

►Grew restless again (like in Spain).

►Wanted to more about the Yucatan Peninsula.

►Reports of new civilization (stronger, advanced, and wealthier)

Richest Man Ever to Cross Seas

►Got financed for new

mission.

► Scoured Cuba for soldiers and got loans to buy ships.

► 11 ships, 508 soldiers, 100 sailors, 200 slaves, and 16 horses

Richest Man Ever to Cross Seas

►The governor of Cuba

wanted to stop the mission at the last minute.

►Worried Cortes would get all the glory.

►Cortes ignored the governor.

Arrival in Mexico

►The governor’s last minute effort angered Cortes.

► Landed in Mexico and made a new town, La Villa Rica de la Veracruz.

►Declared it an independent government

La Villa Rica de la Veracruz

►Cortes, not the governor, was now responsible for reports back to Spain.

► Sent one ship back to Spain with all the gold, sunk the other 10.

►Defunct soldiers could not return to Cuba.

An Unequal Fight

Aztec Weapon Spanish Weapon

War Club

► Cut like knife but not through armor

► Heavy, needed two hands

Sword

► Double edged, pointy, sharp

► Meter long, one handed.

Aztec Weapon Spanish Weapon

Wooden Spear

► Sharp wood heated by fire

► Aimed for eyes and neck (close combat)

Halberd

► Over 2 meters with spear, hook, and axe

Aztec Weapon Spanish Weapon

Atlatl (Spear thrower)

► Stronger than using arm

► Also had bows, arrows, and slings

Crossbow

► Shoot wooden arrows that penetrated armor

Unknown Weapons

► Spanish brought muskets (rifles).

►Aztecs surprised, common in Europe.

►Thought the rifles were thunder.

►Montezuma sent ambassadors to greet Cortez

He killed them all

The Horse

► Indigenous people have never seen horses.

► Size, power, and speed fascinated the Aztecs.

► Spanish could ride with one hand leaving other free.

► Spanish put bells on horses Read Exploring Sources

on page 226.

The Role of Disease

►Disease was on the side of the Spanish.

► Spanish brought small pox to the new world.

► Epidemic broke out in Tenochtitlan, making Aztecs weak.

► Europeans also brought disease to North America as well.

Invasion

►Cortez befriended or conquered indigenous people.

►Received gifts once a group conquered.

►Cortez given intermediary, Malinche.

Spoke 3 languages Malinche, the intermediary

Invasion

►Totonacs were given protection

►Tlaxcalans made peace after war (gave soldiers)

►Cholulans were loyal to Aztecs so they were conquered.

Aztec Response

►Montezuma chose to wait and see what Cortez would do.

►Montezuma greets Cortez, gives him gifts.

Cortez meets Montezuma

Battle for Tenochtitlan

►Cortez taken care of

Place to live, GOLD

►Cortez places Moctezuma under house arrest.

►Melted all gold in palace.

Battle for Tenochtitlan

►Velazquez (Cuba) sent army to arrest Cortez.

►Cortez met and convinced the army to join him.

►When he returned, Aztecs killed Moctezuma and drove Spanish out.

Battle for Tenochtitlan

►Returned in 6 months.

►Smallpox killed many Aztecs

►Spanish cut aqueducts (80 day siege)

►Only 60 000 Aztecs survived

Smallpox, brought by the Spanish

Cheat Sheet

► Reasons why Spain looked westward ► Aztec hierarchy ► Similarities between Aztec and

Spanish societies ► Ways in which Aztec nobility were

different from everyone else ► Ways the Aztecs altered their geography ► Importance of the Aztec pyramids ► Ways in which the Aztecs expanded

their empire ► Aztec and Spanish weapons ► Conquistador’s formula ► Cortes’ motives for conquering Mexico ► Aztec citizenship ► Aztec calendar ► Aztec education