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Importance of history research
Importance of history research
Importance of history research
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A primary source is recorded by someone who personally witnessed or experienced the subject in question (wwnortnon, n.d.). Cortes only gave information that he observed. He never said someone told me, he basically made descriptions as if he saw things himself. A document can be partially primary and partially secondary. If the writing is referenced and noted, it could be considered primary in some studies. If history is being studied, then you would have to search for the primary source (wwnorton, n.d.) I can infer that Cortes’ motives in writing about “the wonders of Tenochtitlan” and the Aztecs, were to describe it in such a way that the Sire could almost picture it himself. It seemed that he was impacted in such a way that it marveled him
In order for a work to be considered a primary literature, it must have been written by professors or researchers who are reporting original findings and it must consist of a specialized format that includes abstracts and reference lists
Díaz del Castillo, Bernal. "The True History of the Conquest of New Spain." In Sources of Making of the West, by Katarine J. Lualdi, 269-273. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Why was Cortes with 508 soldiers able to conquer the Aztec Empire with millions of people?
The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying themes and storylines that come together to make the event happen. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec is no different. Three major themes are seen in this struggle. One of them is the incredible advantage that the Spaniards technology gave them over the Aztecs. A second major theme is the greed that fueled the conquests in the New World. The last major theme was the effect of the political divisions and rivalries within Montezuma’s Central American Kingdom. As this historical event progressed each one of these themes began to intertwine until they became an almost unstoppable force.
On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus landed on unknown territory, however, in his perspective of Earth he thought he made a new route to Asia. He travels throughout the lands, soon, he discovers new forms of inhabitant plants, as well as, indigenous people that were native to those lands. Years later he soon unravels that it was all unaccustomed terrain. The monarchy of Spain also discovers Columbus’s new discoveries, then, they send more explorers to conquer the lands. In 1520, Hernan Cortes goes with the order from Spanish royalty to go to the newly discovered lands to conquer them, also, help expand the Spanish empire. Overall, Columbus and Cortes both reported the new lands they recently discovered back to Spain, however, their descriptions
A major element of Aztec life was religion, as often is in the case in ancient civilizations. The Aztecs were a polytheistic people, and they often made use of human sacrifice to please their gods. Diaz often makes reference to the blood-stained walls of the Aztec temples in his account of the conquest. In reference to the success of Cortes and his soldiers, an anci...
Castillo says that they "stood so high that from it [the temple] one could see over everything very well, and we saw the three causeways which led into Mexico" (World History: Castillo, 252). Cortés is observing the future and destiny that awaits him and the great city of Mexico.
In October 1519, Cortés marched to Cholula, the second largest city in Mexico, and massacred thousands of unarmed people gathered at the central plaza and partially burned the city. When he arrived in Tenochtitlán in November 8, they were peacefully welcomed by Moctezuma II. Moctezuma had let Cortés and his men into the city in hopes of knowing their weakness to crush them later. He game them gold and lavish gifts which excited their ambitions to raid than placating them. When Velázquez sent another expedition to oppose Cortés, Cortés left Tenochtitlán to confront the forces and
The reason for this is a prophecy. The prophecy said that when they saw an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its mouth that was where they were to build their great civilization. For that reason they called it Tenochtitlan, meaning place of the cactus. Since the prophecy was filled upon an island in the middle of a small lake, called Lake Texcoco, land became short.
Do you ever question how society was brought up today or how did globalization occurs? Ever wonder how ships were made or how the capsaicin becomes a popular spice in the old world? The answer to these questions rely the knowledge we acquire from history. In essence, history is the study of past events. How we come about to studying past events are due to two types of sources, which are primary and secondary sources. In particular, primary sources are important because they can be interpreted as the direct knowledge of the time era that the source is found. A great example of a primary source is by Bartolome de las Casas. He was a Spanish historian who wrote extensive writings, the most famous being A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indie. The primary source created by Bartolome de las Casas identifies the interactions of the Indies and the savagery of the Spaniards upon coming to the New World.
Life in the Aztec empire was different than that in Europe at the time. They believed in gods and had wizards and magicians. The Aztec’s had a similar social structure to most European countries; however, the craftsmen ship of art was quite different than that in Europe.
The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Their capital, Tenochitlan, was located on the site of present-day Mexico City. An elaborate city built on islands and marsh land, Tenochtitlán was possibly the largest city in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. It featured a huge temple complex, a royal palace, and numerous canals.
The Aztecs were an influential group of indigenous people who serve great importance to the modern Mexican people. However, the average American knows little or a few accurate details as to why the Aztecs were mighty and how they serve great importance today. When Americans think of the Aztecs, they tend to associate this indigenous group with mercilessly, bloody thirsty sacrifice, huge, vast temples, and active warriors. While these associations are somewhat correct, there is still some flaws and lesser known details people know about Aztec religion, engineering/technology, and warfare. People seem to underestimate the significant achievements and influences the Aztecs left behind after their conquest. Even Hollywood over the years appears
Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Mexican civilization established around 1325. The Aztecs, who inhabited Tenochtitlan, picked the site based on an ancient prophecy that said the wandering tribes of the Aztecs would find the destined site for a great city by spotting an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus. The Aztecs saw this sight on what was then a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco. This eagle can be seen on Mexico's coat of arms and on the Mexican flag today. They built their city using chinampas , or floating gardens, used for agriculture and to dry and expand the island. These chinampas were linked with wooden bridges, connecting both platforms used for residential purposes as well as platforms for the maize and other crops they grew to the inner island as well as to the outer terrain. Tenochtitlan covered an estimated 8 to 13.5 km2 (3.1 to 5.2 sq mi), situated on the western side of the shallow Lake Texcoco.
History is diverse in its use of tool and theories and can be influenced by power, while influences international conflict. There are many different sources a historian can use to compile information from the past. Primary sources are direct evidence from someone involved in the event being studied. Secondary sources are those derived from primary sources such as written or oral narratives or when a historian writes about other histories, which is