Chapter 11: Worldviews in

ConflictHow does cultural contact between two societies affect their identity and

worldview?

Changing a Worldview – How can losing a

war affect a conquered people’s

worldview?

Like the Black Death in Europe the Spanish conquest was a catastrophe, or

disaster, for the Aztecs. It affected almost every aspect of their way of life,

forcing them to rethink the way they looked at the world.

A New Religion

During the final siege of Tenochtitlan the Aztecs continued making

sacrifices and prayers, hoping the gods would lead them to victory but

when this defeat happened many felt that the gods had abandoned

them. Cortés asked King Carlos to send him religious people. Three years

after the conquest, priests of the Franciscan order arrived at Veracruz.

These priests vowed to live in the poorest of conditions, never get married

and obey their superiors. They walked the 500 kilometers to Mexico city and

were greeted by Hernan Cortes who dropped to his knees and kissed the

hem of each of their robes. The Aztecs were amazed at this sight because

they had never seen him treat anyone with such respect.

Destroying Aztec Temples

The Franciscans and other missionaries gradually converted many of the

surviving Aztecs to the Catholic faith. During this time, the Spanish

destroyed the Aztec temples and burned all of the Aztec codices that they

could find.

Where do these artifacts belong???

New Economy

In addition to changing their religion, the Aztecs were also forced to

become part of a new economic system. As soon as the Aztecs

surrendered, the Spanish introduced the encomienda system. This was the

system that they used in other colonies in the Americas. With each piece

of land, settlers were given a number of Aztec workers. The Spanish did not

pay these workers but they did have some legal rights. The landowners

were supposed to treat them right and educate them in the Catholic

religion. However, many of the landowners still abused the Aztec workers.

Even though the Spanish crown tried to stop the abuses, but the colonies

were so far away from Spain that the laws had very little effect. The

economy in Mexico no longer increased the riches of the Aztecs. Instead it

was the Spanish who became the richest people and the Aztecs were the

poorest.

Draw and label the diagram of the encomienda system on

page 242 which shows the new economic system

introduced by the Spanish and how it affected the Aztecs.

The Encomienda System – Which

perspective do you agree with???

1. Textbook Page 248 – Read the arguments why King Carlos I did not support

the Encomienda system and why Cortes did support it.

2. With a partner explain the criteria that Carlos and Cortes used to support

their arguments.

3. Choose that you believe is the strongest argument for both sides, explain

why you believe this is the strongest argument.

4. Decide who you would side with and have evidence to support your

answer.

A New Worldview

EmergesHow can intercultural contact produce a new society that combines aspects

of both original societies?

Setting up a Colony

Setting up a Colony – The Aztecs weren’t the only ones to have to surrender

their way of life.

Plundered Gold – As soon as the Aztecs surrendered, Cortés’ men

threatened to rebel against him because when he was in Cuba he had

promised to make them very rich when they went to Mexico. However,

during the siege with the Aztecs, most of the riches of gold and sliver were

sent back to Spain. Most of the Spanish soldiers had been fighting for many

years without any pay. They were told that what they could take in battle

from the Aztecs would be their payment instead. Cortés agreed that they

deserved more and asked the Crown for more money to pay them. Cortés

needed these men to help him build his colony in New Spain.

Cortés’ Solution

Cortés solved his problem by implementing two policies. The first was the

encomienda system. He also passed a “marriage law” in which every

Spaniard in New Spain either had to bring his wife over from Spain or marry

an indigenous woman. Any man who did not have a wife in six months

would lose his encomienda.

A Changing Worldview

By giving his soldiers land grants and getting them to marry, Cortés shifted

their focus from short-term goals of finding gold and then returning to Spain

to the long-term project of establishing a colony in New Spain. Cortés knew

that getting the men to marry Indigenous women would strengthen their

ties to the colony. The children of these mixed raced people were the

beginning of the Mestizo. People which now form the largest part of the

people that live in Mexico.

The Independence Movement

Just as Cortés was turning his soldiers into settlers, King Carlos took the

government of New Spain away from him. The King gave it to Don Antonio

de Mendoza who became the first viceroy, or royal representative in New

Spain. Many think that the reason the king removed Cortes from the job

was that he believed that Cortés would declare himself to be king of the

colony and separate from Spain. Another reason was that the King thought

that Cortés would probably look after his own interests first and those of the

king second.

Discontent in New Spain

King Carlos made it clear that the colony of New Spain was under the

control of the Spanish crown. This meant that there would be a constant

supply of tributes - gold, silver and farm products – sent to Spain to pay for

the king’s European wars. The people of New Spain including the Spanish

settlers could see that while this was good for the King, and was making

Spain very wealthy, it was not necessarily good for them. New Spain did

not have good roads, schools or housing. Discontent arose in New Spain

and in 1821 Mexico became independent from Spain.

Name the three groups of people found in

Modern Mexico and provide an explanation

about them.

1. The Indigenous People – The original Inhabitants of Mexico. An example od

these people are the Aztecs. Some indigenous groups did become allies

with the Spanish to defeat the Aztecs.

2. The Mestizos – This is the largest population of people in modern day

Mexico making up 60% of the population.

3. The Creoles – These people are the direct descendants of the Spanish

settlers in Mexico. They were the most privileged and wealthiest class.

Mexican Culture Today

Modern Mexico is a combination of the Indigenous, Mestizo, and Spanish

traditions. Although the Spanish introduced Catholicism to Mexico, church

festivals today also include Aztec traditions that were developed long

before the Spanish arrived.

Mexican Culture Today

On page 252 you read about the Day of the Dead celebrations. Roman Catholics celebrate All Souls Day on November 1st of every year. Mexicans, including Roman Catholics, celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2nd. Explain the three main parts of this religious celebration.

1. The family alter – Each house will build an alter with offering of food water and incense.

2.The Day Before – Families take baskets of marigold flowers to church where they are blessed with holy water. The family the creates a trail a pedals to lead the dead back to the families house so the souls can enjoy the offerings.

3. The Day of the Dead – On the Evening of November 2nd a community of people walk to the cemetery. There is music playing as people pray for their dead. Candles are lit and placed on head stones so the souls can find their way back to the graves

Mexican Artists and Writers

Another way to see how Aztec and Spanish traditions have combined is to

look at their artists and writers. Two of the most famous of these artists are

discussed on page 254 in your textbook. Provide a short summary of each

of them in the space provided.

Frida Kahlo - Frida was a skilled and influential painter who was fascinated

with Mexican folk art and the sculptures and architecture of the counties

indigenous people.

Octavio Paz - He is the best known artist of the 20th century. He believed that only by studying Mexico's history can one understand what is

happening in present-day Mexico. His poetry looked to Aztec culture for

inspiration. It was given the structure of a circle and uses imagery carved

into the stone calendar.

Vocabulary

Plaque – A historical marker signifying where a significant historical event

occurred.

Ideology – A set of values

Catastrophe – a disaster

Franciscan Order – A group od Catholic priests who took a vow of poverty,

chastity, and obedience and worked with the poor lower class.

Encomienda System - A Spanish system that gave settlers land grants when

they arrived in a colony.

Viceroy - The representative of the Crown in a foreign region.

1. What happens once a war is over? Do the “winners” always make

the “losers” give up their traditions or beliefs? Or do both sides adopt

parts of one another’s worldview? Provide examples.

When a war is over it depends on how inclusive the dominant group is and

whether or not they would be willing to accept other ways of life. For

example when the Muslims took over Spain they did not force people to

change their religion. The Spanish on the other hand attempted to destroy

almost all aspects of the Aztec culture by destroying temples and burning

codices. Nevertheless Aztec culture is still represented through modern

Mexican art.

Think of an event or person that seriously challenged or even changed

some element of your worldview. What did this event change about

your thinking or behaviour? How did this event make you feel?

Personal Responce

What sorts of things could lead or force a whole society to

make substantial changes to its worldview?

Catastrophe’s which are man made or natural disasters can have a

substantial impact on individual and societal worldview. War between the

Spanish and the Aztecs is an example of an event that could challenge

someone to change their worldview. Also something as simple as being

exposed to different worldviews and ideologies can change an societal

worldview.

In Chapters 7 and 8, you read how important religion was

to the Aztecs. How might the destruction of their temples

have affected their sense of identity?

As we learned religion was the main pillar of life for the Aztecs. Their

temples were built in the shapes of mountains. Mountains were more than

just a physical site for the Aztecs they believed that this is where the

physical and spiritual worlds met. The destruction of the temples could

them have symbolized the destruction of their physical and spiritual world.

In Canada, there are about 6.7 million people whose first language is

French. Do you think that they (Québécois, Acadians, and

Francophones living in other provinces) all have the same worldview,

or is each of them different? Explain your answer.

Some aspects of their worldview would be similar as language does have a

strong connection to culture and a related set of values. Nevertheless each

of these groups have had different experiences which would have

inevitably changed their collective and individual worldviews throughout

history.

In what ways did the structure of Aztec society

change because of contact with the Spanish?

The Aztecs social hierarchy completely changes as a result of contact with

the Spanish. The Aztecs had a well organized society where all people

have specific roles and responsibilities. With the introduction of a new

economic system, encomienda, Aztecs were all now forced in to a position

of slavery with very little rights and responcibilities.

What impact did the Spanish conquest have on the

religion of the Aztec people? In other words, what things

changed?

The Spanish conquest almost lead to the complete destruction of the Aztec

religion. As the Aztecs continued to lose the battle for Tenochtitlan they

continued to pray and make sacrifices. When their situation did not

change they believed their Gods had abandoned them. Additionally, with

the arrival of the Franciscan order of priests they were educated in the

Catholic faith.

How did the economy change as a

result of the Spanish conquest?

The economy changed as the Aztecs were forced in to slavery and the

majority of the wealth was sent to Spain. This made the Spanish empire

richer as the Aztecs became the foundation for the poor lower class.