Society for History Education

Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico by Stuart B.
Schwartz
Review by: Jayne Howell
The History Teacher, Vol. 34, No. 3 (May, 2001), pp. 419-420
Published by: Society for History Education
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3054367 .
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GeneralBooks 419

Victorsand Vanquished:Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquestof Mexico,

by Stuart B. Schwartz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 271 pages. $35.00,
cloth.

HernanCortes'militarycampaignagainstthe Nahuatl-speakingpeoples of centralMexico,

which enabled a group of less than 2,000 Spanish soldiers to join forces with native
enemies of the Aztec empire and defeat the mighty Aztec warriors,is arguablyone of the
most compelling moments in world history. Schwartz's excellent Victors and Van-
quished, part of the Bedford Series in History and Culture, provides a comprehensive
comparison and analysis of the primarysources historians and ethnohistoriansrely on
when discussing events leading up to, and the immediateconsequencesof, this Conquest.
Designed for classroom use, Schwartz's book includes two main sections of text, a
Chronology of the Conquest of Tenochtitlanwhich serves as a useful resourcefor those
not familiar with this history, and a handy glossary of Spanish and Nahua terms.
Additionally, he includes a "Questions for Consideration"section at the back that
studentscan consult to enhance their readingof the text.
Part One provides a concise twenty page introductionto the history and diversity of
the indigenous peoples of Mesoamericaon the eve of the conquest, and an overview of
primarysources producedby Spanish and indigenous chroniclers.As a context for the
analysis of texts that follows, Schwartz describes the arrivalof the Aztec empire and
foundingof theircapitalTenochtitlan,acrimoniousrelationsbetween the Mexica (Aztec)
and the indigenous groups they conquered, and the nature of the Spaniardswho con-
quered and settled the Caribbean and Central America. In this section he discusses
differences in Spanish and indigenous systems of recordinghistory,noting that the latter
producedhieroglyphictexts that were accompaniedby tales, dance, and song before the
Conquest. Schwartz discusses the political, cultural and personal motivations that re-
sulted in the productionof different versions of this period, and stresses that indigenous
accounts frequently vary as much from each other as they do from Spanish sources
reporting the same events, which also vary from each other. In Part Two, Schwartz
contrasts English translationsof sources produced by the Spanish, Mexica, and their
enemies. The primarySpanish sources he excerpts include well-known memoirs written
by conquistadors,namely Bemrnal Diaz del Castillo's The TrueHistoryof the Conquestof
New Spain. Diaz del Castillo wrote this classic more thanfifty years afterthe Conquestin
responseto otherpublicationssuch as Cortes'Lettersto Charles V, which is also included
here. AdditionalSpanishsources include Diego Durim's TheHistoryof the Indies ofNew
Spain and lesser known accounts writtenby priests, monks and encomendados(settlers
given grants of land and Indian labor by the Spanish crown. Destructionof indigenous
documents (codices) by the Spanish means that most accounts of Mexica pre-conquest
life were producedaftercontact.Among the post-Conquestindigenoussourcesdiscussed
here are the Codex Mendoza, Lienzo de Tlaxcala, Chronicles of Michoacdn, Cantares
mexicanos, and The FlorentineCodex, a comprehensiveaccountof pre-conquestMexica
life producedby Nahua-speakersunderthe directionof Fray Bemrnardino de Sahagtin.
Analysis of the texts occurs in eight sections, including "Forebodingsand Omens"
(events alleged to have occurredpriorto the conquestbut quitepossibly influencedby the
outcome), "Preparations,""Encounters,""The March Inland:Tlaxacala and Cholula"
(which all focus on how the Spanishmade allies of or decimatedthe Aztec's enemies and
allies), "Things Fall Apart: Toxcatl and the Noche Triste," "The Siege and Fall of
Tenochtitlan(which all describe contact between the Spanish and Mexica) and finally,
"Aftermath:Traditionand Transformation"(focusing on the long-termconsequences of

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420 TheHistory Teacher

the Encounter).Schwartz'sanalysis examines these themes while identifying the motiva-

tions of the writers, as he distinguishes accounts which appearto have been written to
appease a patronor because of devotion to Catholicismfrom those writtento justify an
individual's participationin the Conquest. For example, he notes that despite Diaz del
Castillo's reliableaccountsof events he witnessedhimself, his accountof the massacreof
Mexica nobles in the "ThingsFall Apart"section is based on others' reports.In another
example, Schwartzpoints out that Tlaxacallanaccountswere writtenby formerenemies
of the Mexica, with survivorspaintingtheir formerfoes in the worst possible light.
Schwartz's insightful analysis of sources and their productionmakes this book an
excellent reference for scholars and teachers of Mesoamericanand world history. Stu-
dents in upper division or graduatecourses focusing on Latin America, colonialism, or
methodology will also find this book a valuableresource.

CaliforniaState University,Long Beach Jayne Howell

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