Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors gained much from their strategic and brutal acquisition of Mexico. By conquering the Aztec civilisation, the Spanish were able to expand their empire, spread Christianity further and secure unimaginable riches. However, their arrival brought devastating impacts on the indigenous population such as disease, slavery and destruction of culture. In the 12th century, a Native American tribe called the Aztecs had moved into the Valley of Mexico in search of fertile land. In the Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs had established a thriving empire, rich in tradition and culture. The merciless destruction of a flourishing and complex civilisation dispossessed the world of learning about the almighty Aztecs. Therefore, it
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The structure of the Aztec civilization and culture was complex and systematic, in particular, their education system, agriculture and warfare. Schooling was compulsory for all people, regardless of gender or rank. Girls were mainly taught at home. They learned the way to raise children and make craft but were not taught to read or write. At 15 years, boys could attend one of the two types of schools. Children of nobility went to calmecac, which had a focus on advanced learning, administrative skills and religion. Children also went to telpochcalli, a military school for commoners. For Aztec children, discipline was harsh, both at school and at home. Punishments for boys included being speared by a cactus-like plant and girls had their fingers cut if they made a mistake in tasks. This can evidenced by an illustration in the Aztec codex that describes the various punishments that children received (Refer Appendix 1). This sources depicts children being punished by their elders and shows children being tied and tortured. The Aztec codex is a primary source that provides historians with relevant information regarding the life of children in Aztec society. However, the accuracy and likely reliability of the codices must be treated with caution. Most of the sources about the Aztecs available to historians were created after the conquest, under the …show more content…
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Aztec civilisation had never been exposed to people beyond their region. Therefore, they had no immunity to diseases common in Europe. When they arrived in the Americas, the Spanish brought smallpox and other diseases with them. Smallpox victims became covered in pimples and it is not an exaggeration to say that smallpox killed most people in the Aztec Empire. It was thought that the population around Tenochtitlan had decreased from 1.6 million to 900 000 as a result of smallpox alone (Clyne et al, p. 344.) The effect of smallpox in Mexico is evident in a primary source from the Florentine Codex reflects the misery that the disease inflicted (Refer Appendix 5). The drawing clearly reveals the suffering endured by the Aztec population. The victims are covered in typical smallpox sores, and are perhaps in the dying stages of the disease. This is an accurate and relevant representation of how the Aztecs were affected by the disease. The likely reliability of this source is further increased as it corroborates with another source written by an eye-witness account. The account from an unknown eye-witness stated, “… [People] could no longer move, but lay in their dwellings and sleeping places, no longer able to move or stir…” (Anderson et al, 2015,
The structure of the Aztec civilization and culture was complex and systematic, in particular, their education system, agriculture and warfare. Schooling was compulsory for all people, regardless of gender or rank. Girls were mainly taught at home. They learned the way to raise children and make craft but were not taught to read or write. At 15 years, boys could attend one of the two types of schools. Children of nobility went to calmecac, which had a focus on advanced learning, administrative skills and religion. Children also went to telpochcalli, a military school for commoners. For Aztec children, discipline was harsh, both at school and at home. Punishments for boys included being speared by a cactus-like plant and girls had their fingers cut if they made a mistake in tasks. This can evidenced by an illustration in the Aztec codex that describes the various punishments that children received (Refer Appendix 1). This sources depicts children being punished by their elders and shows children being tied and tortured. The Aztec codex is a primary source that provides historians with relevant information regarding the life of children in Aztec society. However, the accuracy and likely reliability of the codices must be treated with caution. Most of the sources about the Aztecs available to historians were created after the conquest, under the …show more content…
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Aztec civilisation had never been exposed to people beyond their region. Therefore, they had no immunity to diseases common in Europe. When they arrived in the Americas, the Spanish brought smallpox and other diseases with them. Smallpox victims became covered in pimples and it is not an exaggeration to say that smallpox killed most people in the Aztec Empire. It was thought that the population around Tenochtitlan had decreased from 1.6 million to 900 000 as a result of smallpox alone (Clyne et al, p. 344.) The effect of smallpox in Mexico is evident in a primary source from the Florentine Codex reflects the misery that the disease inflicted (Refer Appendix 5). The drawing clearly reveals the suffering endured by the Aztec population. The victims are covered in typical smallpox sores, and are perhaps in the dying stages of the disease. This is an accurate and relevant representation of how the Aztecs were affected by the disease. The likely reliability of this source is further increased as it corroborates with another source written by an eye-witness account. The account from an unknown eye-witness stated, “… [People] could no longer move, but lay in their dwellings and sleeping places, no longer able to move or stir…” (Anderson et al, 2015,