Fall of Aztec Empire For many years now, historians have pondered upon the many reasons for the fall of the Aztec Empire. There have been many factors that played into the fall of the Empire, such as the diseases plaguing the population, the Spaniard’s technological advantages, religious rivalries, alliances, and the list goes on. But to focus on two of the major contributors, this essay will focus on the effects of European diseases on Mexico, and the impact alliances between the Spaniards and the Tlaxcala people had on Tenochtitlan. To begin our observations, we will delve into the life of a man named “Hernan Cortés”. Hernan Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador, and one of the driving forces in the fall of the Aztec Empire through the capture of Tenochtitlan and of the then leader Motecuhzoma II.…
Bonfil Batalla’s book, Mexican Profundo: Reclaiming a Lost Civilization, highlights the struggles of the Mesoamerican culture in the past and present. The author provides an insightful look at two different civilizations that have occupied Mexico throughout the centuries. Batalla named these two civilizations the Mexico Profundo and the imaginary Mexico. He explains how these civilizations have major differences that restrict their ability to coexist peacefully together. This book provides a detailed perspective of the differences and effects of the Mexico Profundo and the imaginary Mexico, the colonization of Mexico, Mexico after the colonial period, and the modern resistances of the Mexico Profundo.…
How the Spanish Conquered the “New World” In this essay, I will argue that the most important advantage that the Spanish had that made their conquests successful were the alliances they made with the native people of the America's. Matthew Restall, author of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest writes about the crucial alliance Cortés makes with the Tlaxcalan people. " As these Tlaxcalans rightly judged, with Spanish assistance, they would be able to destroy the Mexica Empire and its capital city." (Restall, 47)…
First, the Spanish and the Navajo got into a conflict, but that put an impact on New Mexico History. It all started when the Navajo moved to where the Pueblo lived. It was easier to adapt to the new environment, because the Pueblo had already lived there for…
American intrusion into New Spain, what is now American soil today, found westward expansion a belief of fortune. As Anglo-Americans started receiving rights as foreigners to enter the northern frontier of New Spain and then Mexico, they brought over an influence that led them to develop land that they would once own. Hispanics living in the northern frontier thought of the Anglos as an ally in building a prosperous nation for Mexico. They had no idea the influence of Anglos would endanger the existence of Mexico in the north. Once Mexico gained its independence from Spain’s deteriorating government, they made their own efforts to expand their population in the most cost effective way.…
What influences created present-day Mexico? The Spanish were a great influence, as Mexico is typically seen as a Spanish country, but what else did the Spanish introduce to this country? The indigenous groups play a major role in influencing Mexico, from their holidays and the food they eat, to the way they dress. When the Spanish first arrived in Latin America, they brought bulls and other livestock, such as cows, horses, and pigs.…
When most people think of big cities, picture Los Angeles, Hong Kong, or New York. Actually, the world’s largest city is Mexico City, and which has about twenty million inhabitants. The modern city was founded by the Spaniards in 1521 on the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital. They destroyed and built the new city in sixteenth-century European style, and with a large public plaza as the city’s center. By stretching from this plaza like the spokes of a wheel are several wide avenues that lead into the city.…
The readings, “Death’s Patriot” in Death, Dismemberment, and Memory by Christon Archer speaks on the Mexican Revolution and the article by Franklin Knight on Haiti speaks on the Haitian Revolution. Throughout History, we have seen many revolutions all over the world. But, specifically, the Mexican Revolution and the Haitian Revolution were both similar because they had similar social and political issues and goals when going against the Europeans. In the Aztec Empire what is now Mexico, Cuauhtemoc tried his best to defend the Aztec capital from the Spaniards, but was then captured and executed, and since then the Spanish have had control of Mexico which they called, New Spain (Johnson: 207).…
When the New World was “discovered,” it it was likely a surprise to the millions of indigenous people that occupied the the land. “Before the Spaniards’ arrival, central Mexico had been a densely populated, urbanized, sedentary civilization. City states, or altepetl, had dotted the landscape, allied with or opposed to the the dominant Mexica. (Owensby Empire 24). The Spaniards did not find an empty continent, they found an advanced and organized civilization.…
Though belief in the system of monarchy was present over much of Mexico from the 1700s to the early 1800’s, by 1867, the Mexican people ultimately rallied behind the principles of liberalism, leading to it’s full incorporation into Mexican Society. In order to understand the reason for this implementation, one must look at the popular ideologies held by the people of Mexico and it’s influence on their actions, during this time in which there was instability in their government. It is also important to see what role foreign invasions played in shaping the belief systems of the Mexican civilians. Lastly, the power of church and military members in government decisions and their function in keeping the citizens of Mexico from being seen as equal…
Prior to the Spanish conquest in Mexico, nomadic Paleo-Indian societies had migrated from northern America into what is known as Mexico today. They were able to flourish and support life due to farming. Then around the sixteenth century, the Spanish military, under the commands of Hernan Cortes, conquered Mexico by killing the last Aztec king. After conquering Mexico, they were able to colonize as well as create religious institutions throughout. In 1846, America had led on a war with Mexico, which resulted in them capturing northern Mexico.…
This source provides an analysis on how the Chicano literature started. First Martin-Rodriguez (2001) presents a sequential order of events connected to the most important moments in the Chicano history and provides a brief examination of what happen in each period that led to the Chicano literature movement. The author also offers a view of how difficult was the transition of cultures once Mexico was defeated and became part of the United States (Martin-Rodriguez, 2001). I can say this because of the description of the article.…
Mexico is an ancient land filled with a rich history and a proud people. The land in Mexico once fostered Amerindian civilizations such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and the Olmec. These cultures flourished until first contact was made with the Spanish in the early 16th century. The Spanish conducted their first expedition in 1519, marking the start of Spanish rule in the region for the next 300 years. The Mexican independence was recognized be Spain in 1821 and formed their own democratic government that is still serving today.…
Mexico’s population of 121,736,809 is the 12th largest in the world. With the majority of that population, 79.2% living in urban areas like Mexico City and Gaudalajara. Mexico City, the capital city, itself has a population of approximately 21 million people. Even though Mexico has such a large population, its ethnic diversity is tied more to its history with a predominately Spanish and Amerindian.…
In 1519, Spanish explorers, under the leadership of Hernán Cortés, set foot on what is now modern-day Mexico in search of gold and land in the Aztec Empire. Although the Spanish initially had no intentions (or orders from Cuban governor Diego Velásquez for whom they made the voyage) to colonize the Aztec Empire, they sought to communicate with the inhabitants and spread their Christian faith. However, the end of 1521 saw the mighty Aztec Empire practically cease to exist, its emperor Montezuma II join the many victims of the conquest, and the survivors put under the rule of the Spanish. A variety of factors came into play regarding the Spanish’s ability to conquer this mighty empire, including the ability to communicate verbally, the religious beliefs of both peoples, and the devastating effect of disease on the Aztec empire.…