Chapter 10
What is the Conquistadors formula?
1. An expedition would set out from a recent colony
2. The Spanish would then try to meet peacefully with the first groups of Indigenous people they encountered. They wanted to discover which group was the most powerful
3. The Spanish would invite the leader of the powerful group to a meeting to exchange gifts. Then the Spanish would seize the leader and hold him hostage.
4. If they did have to fight, they would try to do so on open ground for an advantage
5. The leader would remain as governor, the second in command would organize the next expedition and the Indigenous people would be forced into slavery.
The Franciscans arrived and did what to the Aztecs and their city?
1. They converted all the surviving Aztecs to the Catholic faith.
2. They destroyed all the Aztec temples
3. Burned all the Aztec codices they could find
Why did King Carlos take the governorship of Mexico over?
He believed that Cortes would deem himself the king and sever ties from Spain.
How did smallpox affect the success of the Spanish Invasion?
Smallpox killed vast numbers of the Aztec population and weakened their ability to resist the Spanish assault.
What was the Aztec economy based upon before the Spanish arrived?
1. Farming
2. Trade
3. War
4. Tribute
Why were Cortes men unhappy in the colony?
They had seen all the riches from the battle of Tenochtitlan but hadn't received any of it. All the treasures were sent to Spain.
How did Malinche help Hernan Cortes defeat the Aztecs?
She was able to speak Mayan and Nahuatl and quickly learned Spanish. She was used as an interpreter and spy against Moctezuma.
1. Marriage law: all men needed to bring their wives from Spain or marry an Indigenous woman.
2. The encomienda system: you needed to be married to receive land
Why did the laws passed by the Spanish king to protect the Aztec workers not work?
They were too far away to enforce these laws.
How did Cortes adapt his strategy with the Totonacs, Tlaxcalans, and Cholulans?
Tlaxcalans: In exchange for peace they gave Cortes 1000 soldiers
Cholulans: Cortes used Malinche as a spy and defeated them
Explain the encomienda system
Settlers were given pieces of land and an allotted number of Aztecs to work the land. They were supposed to treat the Aztecs well and educate them in the Catholic faith. However, many landowners abused their workers.
How did Moctezuma die? Why did Cortes leave Tenochtitlan?
Cortes had to leave because Velasquez sent people after Cortes. He had to leave for the coast to deal with this threat. He left Alvarado in charge and Alvarado let the Aztecs host a festival. During this festival there was a massacre and Moctezuma was killed.
What is the name of the children of Spanish men and Indigenous women?
Mestizos