S. N. Goenka

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…

The Spanish exploration of America brought many new foods, types of plants, and forms of wealth to the European world. The wealth brought to Spain from the Americas came at a cost that was paid for by the enslavement and the sufferings of Native Americans and eventually the Africans. The Spanish colonization from 1492 to 1700 was motivated by religious conversion of all peoples in America and the desire for wealth and profit that had a significant impact on the lives of Native Americans and…

While the idea that the arrival of Europeans to “The New World” brought upon the indigenous cultures of America no small amount of strife and misery, as well as fame and fortune upon the Spanish is widely accepted as fact, there is limitless dissention among historians about the true history of the conquest of “New Spain”. One event that exemplifies this dissention is that of the Siege of Tenochtitlan. In the following analysis I will describe and discuss two conflicting accounts that document…

Upon arriving in Hispaniola he preceded to colonize the island immediately. Therefore, Cortés equally sought the value of Velasquez spirit and mimicked the desire of leadership. The fallout of Cortés and Velasquez can be told with many versions. Cortés’s refusal of marriage to a sister of the wife of Diego Velasquez landed him exiled from the land he had helped establish. Hernando was incarcerated and placed on a ship back to Spain under the order of Governor Velasquez. Following multiple…

The interaction between the explorers from Western Europe and the indigenous people of North and South America was shaped by the different cultures and beliefs that each come from. Over the course of several hundreds of years, many different explorers from Western Europe made the voyage to the Americas. Whether they were exploring the different bodies of land in the search of riches, or conquering the indigenous people that resided there, the attitudes of the men that traveled there were shaped…

The history of the early Atlantic world is one of interactions between very different societies: Western Europeans, Africans, and Indigenous Americans. Prior to the dawn of exploration, each of these societies functioned in a largely independent state of the others, and thus developed strikingly different forms of culture, language, religion, and customs. Due to these broad differences, exploration and colonization often led to conflict, and sometimes the complete annihilation of a societal…

Cempoala, and was soon headed back to Tenochtitlán with the newcomers in hand. In his absence, the garrison 's commander ordered an attack on the Aztecs city in the midst of a religious celebration. Brought to the point of blood-rage by the vicious slaughter, the native populace rebelled. Upon his return, Cortés tried to suppress the conflict by urging Moctezuma to mount the roof of Atzayacatl 's palace and petition to his people for reconciliation. Their response was to shower their emperor…

The Mighty Corn It is fascinating to understand how a tiny seed enabled our ancestors to build massive empires and sustain themselves for thousands of years. Going back to the indigenous people during the pre-Columbian era, all the way down to the conquest of Cortez, it is clear to see how corn made possible the development of societies, cultures, and beliefs. Even today, the domestication of corn plays a major role in the way our society operates, especially in the latino communities. People…

With the empire expanding "the fall of the Azcapotzalco and the arrival of Hernan Cortes, the Mexica increasingly assumed a dominant role (Smith51)." After Itzcoatl 's death, Montezuma I took control over the empire in 1440. Montezuma I was remembered as the father of the Aztec empire after proving to be one of the most successful Mexica leaders in expanding the empire. However, between 1450 and 1454 a severe drought…

Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador and explorer that traveled from Spain to the New World when he was only 19. In the New World, he commanded just 600 soldiers and was able to conquer the Aztec empire who commanded tens of thousands of men. He was able to perform this astonishing feat by using strategy, ruthlessness, cunning, and an extreme amount of luck. After his conquest in the New World, Cortes became the governor of New Spain. After seven years of being the governor he was appointed…