Zachary Calderon
CHST 101
7 July 2017
Professor Carrasco
Critical Essay 1
When discussing the Azteca, it is important to note their assemblage of one of the greatest engineered civilizations, which led to a daunting and wholesome empire in just a short two hundred years. The Azteca are to thank for many of the world’s inventions that include grand temples, palaces, and more specifically, the aqueduct. However, upon the arrival of the Spanish invaders, the Azteca were unable to fathom some of their advanced technology and warfare tactics that eventually led to their conquest. Many different elements enabled the Spanish to defeat the Azteca, nevertheless, they can be broken down into two major categories: warfare tactics and disease. …show more content…
These ships were unlike anything that the Azteca had seen before and they were only able to describe them as “mountains that move in the water.” These ships not only allowed the Spaniards to transport mass amounts of men, but they were also able to transport the supplies they needed for battle including weaponry, armor, animals, and food staples to keep them nourished during wartime (Gaffey & Martin, 2014). Another factor that contributed to the success of Cortes and his men was the use of indigenous alliances. Due to the practice of ritual human sacrifice as well as tribal raids, the Azteca did not particularly have a strong relationship with their indigenous neighbors. When Cortes arrived and described to the indigenous people that he opposed the Aztecs, he was able to attain a relationship or alliance with multiple tribes. As a result, the Spaniards received war supplies as well as warriors who fought along side them. Not only did this contribute to the defeat of the Azteca, but also made it significantly easier for the assimilation of the indigenous people in “New Spain” following the defeat of the Azteca (Gaffey & Martin, 2014). Advanced weaponry and armor also played a key role in the Spanish conquest, with the first being …show more content…
The contraction of smallpox and other plagues wiped out nearly ninety percent of the Azteca population. Millions of lives were lost and the epidemic became the final stepping-stone that the Spanish needed to end their conquest. These diseases arrived in four separate epidemics through a span of sixty years. The first smallpox epidemic of 1520-1521 proved to have the most direct correlation to the arrival of the Spaniards. This epidemic occurred just two short years following the Aztecs’ first encounter with the Spanish. Medicine developed by the Azteca was unable to control the spread of the smallpox resulting in nearly thousands of deaths. Three other plagues associated with the Spaniards and small pox occurred in 1531(tepiton zahuatl), 1545(cocoliztli), and 1576-1581(cocoliztli) wiping out a large portion of the Aztec population. It is important to note the cleanliness of the Azteca people due to their water system which prevented them from attracting disease similar to smallpox or other plagues prior to the arrival of Cortes. Scholars assume that due to the Indians’ trek across the large landmass a “cold screen” was created that eliminated fatal viruses and other bacteria from their bodies (Acuna, 2015, p.22). This may also be due to the Aztecs ability to attain a clean water supply. Specifically, aqueducts leading to the temple of Nezahaulcoyotl, the
CHST 101
7 July 2017
Professor Carrasco
Critical Essay 1
When discussing the Azteca, it is important to note their assemblage of one of the greatest engineered civilizations, which led to a daunting and wholesome empire in just a short two hundred years. The Azteca are to thank for many of the world’s inventions that include grand temples, palaces, and more specifically, the aqueduct. However, upon the arrival of the Spanish invaders, the Azteca were unable to fathom some of their advanced technology and warfare tactics that eventually led to their conquest. Many different elements enabled the Spanish to defeat the Azteca, nevertheless, they can be broken down into two major categories: warfare tactics and disease. …show more content…
These ships were unlike anything that the Azteca had seen before and they were only able to describe them as “mountains that move in the water.” These ships not only allowed the Spaniards to transport mass amounts of men, but they were also able to transport the supplies they needed for battle including weaponry, armor, animals, and food staples to keep them nourished during wartime (Gaffey & Martin, 2014). Another factor that contributed to the success of Cortes and his men was the use of indigenous alliances. Due to the practice of ritual human sacrifice as well as tribal raids, the Azteca did not particularly have a strong relationship with their indigenous neighbors. When Cortes arrived and described to the indigenous people that he opposed the Aztecs, he was able to attain a relationship or alliance with multiple tribes. As a result, the Spaniards received war supplies as well as warriors who fought along side them. Not only did this contribute to the defeat of the Azteca, but also made it significantly easier for the assimilation of the indigenous people in “New Spain” following the defeat of the Azteca (Gaffey & Martin, 2014). Advanced weaponry and armor also played a key role in the Spanish conquest, with the first being …show more content…
The contraction of smallpox and other plagues wiped out nearly ninety percent of the Azteca population. Millions of lives were lost and the epidemic became the final stepping-stone that the Spanish needed to end their conquest. These diseases arrived in four separate epidemics through a span of sixty years. The first smallpox epidemic of 1520-1521 proved to have the most direct correlation to the arrival of the Spaniards. This epidemic occurred just two short years following the Aztecs’ first encounter with the Spanish. Medicine developed by the Azteca was unable to control the spread of the smallpox resulting in nearly thousands of deaths. Three other plagues associated with the Spaniards and small pox occurred in 1531(tepiton zahuatl), 1545(cocoliztli), and 1576-1581(cocoliztli) wiping out a large portion of the Aztec population. It is important to note the cleanliness of the Azteca people due to their water system which prevented them from attracting disease similar to smallpox or other plagues prior to the arrival of Cortes. Scholars assume that due to the Indians’ trek across the large landmass a “cold screen” was created that eliminated fatal viruses and other bacteria from their bodies (Acuna, 2015, p.22). This may also be due to the Aztecs ability to attain a clean water supply. Specifically, aqueducts leading to the temple of Nezahaulcoyotl, the