Hist3BI

Assignment 9. The Broken Spears.

Introduction

1. Which sources on the conquest of Mexico are mentioned on p.vii-viii, and how are they
characterized? Cortes’ letters and Bernal Diaz book. Which are said to present one side of the
story. Another source is mentioned which is a book by the victims presenting the other side of
the story.
2. How is this text (the Broken Spears) special and different as a source? Because it talks about both
sides which the previous sources failed to do.
3. According to the text, where did the Aztecs come from and when did they found their city? the
Aztec people has them migrating from a homeland called Aztlan to what would become modern-
day Mexico. While it is not clear where Aztlan was, a number of scholars believe that the Mexica.
They found their city in the 13th century.
4. Which causeway did the Spaniards enter the city? Which causeway did they use when fleeing the
city on the Night of Sorrows? Tacuba causeway
5. From where did the fresh water come that the inhabitants of the city used? The Chapultepec
aqueduct was the primary source of freshwater to Aztecs in Tenochtitlan. Carrying water from
the Chapultepec springs, this aqueduct was a major architectural achievement because of its
twin-pipe water distribution system.
6. Which building stands today on the site where Mochtezuma palace stood before? Find small
photo of the building on the web and the square in front, and add to the assignment. the
Nacional Monte de Piedad

7. How many lived in the city? Around 400,000

8. How is the relationship between the Aztecs and Tlaxcalans described on p.xxii and xxiii? Why
don’t the Aztecs just conquer them? Aztecs respected their independence but did not conquer
them because they wanted a source of victims for human sacrifice so they kept a state of war.
9. In “Warfare in Ancient Mexico”; it states that the ceremonial elements in their attitude toward
war prevented them from taking full advantage of their opportunities. How so? They wanted
always to take captives for human sacrifice which meant they had to capture instead of kill which
limits their abilities and can cause them to lose many solders.
10. In “Indigenous Literature”, what are codices and what happened to most of them? How many
manuscripts do exist today? Codices are the form Natives kept literature and they were kind of
drawings. Most of them burned by Spaniards. There are only 3 today.
Text:

11. What are some of the characteristics of the documents that author mentions on p.3? Talk about
a bit before Spaniards until the fall of Mexico, and last to chapters offer a conclusion different
account written by the conquest and songs of sorrow.
12. Name some of the Omens, possibly foretelling the arrival of the Spaniards (p.4-6)? 1. Sky bleed
fire. 2. Temple of Huitzelopache burst in fire. 3. Temple was struck by lightning bolt. Etc…
13. In Chapter 3 (p.21); what are some of the items/gifts that Mochtezuma sends to New
Arrivals/the Spaniards on the coast? How did Cortés react/frighten Mochtezuma messengers?
Aztec calendar, one disc of crafted gold and another of silver. Cortes scared the massengers by
firing an arquebus in fornt of them.
14. On p.61, Mochtezuma final decision; what is being said in this short chapter? Why does
Mochtezuma invide them in? It is said how he decided to let them in and why, because It is not
proper for a great lord to dismiss the ambassadors of another prince.
15. On p.62-65; how is the meeting of Mochtezuma and Cortes described? How does Mochtezuma
address him? It is described as Mochtezuma giving cortes and his crew gifts and them praising
him, and even saying that he came to his throne.
16. Compare this text with Cortes description and the description of Bernal Díaz (from assignm.8):
a. How are they alike and different? They both have similar descriptions, but they differ in
that Cortes and Diaz only described one side, but this source describes the other side.
b. Is Malinche/Dona Marina mentioned in them all? No, I do not know which exactly.
17. In the Appendix; what is being said about the Spaniards account and the Indian account of the
Conquest? Spaniards account is the most reliable, but only provide one side, where Indian
accounts almost don’t exist because they were burned by Spaniards.