Aztec-Spanish Encounter

Reading: The Spaniards and the Tlaxcalans 453-464

Definitions

• Hernan Cortes: was a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec empire.

• Tlaxcalans: an Indian population who were the subject of the Aztecs. They saw the Spanish as a way to free themselves from the rule of Tenochtitlan.

Background

• Cortes used the help of many different Indian allies.

• Without the help of the allies, his small force would have been unable to take over the Aztec Empire

Aztec jade mask depicting the god Xipoe Totec

• The most important alliance Cortes had was with the people of Tlaxcala who were bitter enemies of the Mexica.

Background

• Initially, Cortes attempted to win the Tlaxcala over through diplomatic means, but failed

• The Spaniards and the Tlaxcalans fought and Cortes barely won.

• Following the defeat, Cortes entered into an alliance with the Tlaxcalans.

• They joined the Spaniards on their invasion against the Maxica.

• Overtime, the Tlaxcalans converted to Catholic Christianity

The Sources

• Accounts of early Spanish-Tlaxcalan relations differ depending on the source.

• Four sources will be analyzed the first two are Spanish, the last two are Indian

What are primary sources?

• Primary sources are documents, objects and other sources that provide us with a first hand account of what life was like in the past.

Examples

• The four sources (Cortes’s and Castillo letters, Sahagun’s account and the pictures drawn by Tlacalans.

Source One: Hernan Cortes

• Cortes sent to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, six reports. However, four of these reports have been lost, and only two remain.

• Cortes’ report (read here) describes Cortes’

war with the Tlaxcalans, his victory and the peace accord.

• The letter was written one year after he first encountered the Tlaxcalans, in 1520

Source two: Bernal Diaz del Castillo

• Bernal Diaz del Castillo was a soldier who joined Cortes during his battles with the Tlaxcalans.

• His account was written during the 1560’s (so about 40 years later)

• Diaz is the most reliable Spanish eyewitness of the conquest.

• The account is titled True History of the Conquest of New Spain.

• Account is composed of a detailed history of the entire campaign.

Source two: Bernal Diaz del Castillo• It was written to counter the inaccuracies of

the incident written by a man named Francisco Lopez de Gomara, who had never been to the Americas.

• Two writing exerts will be read; the first tells of how the Tlaxcalans and Cortes concluded their alliance.

• The second segment takes place after the two alliances have been defeated in one of the battles with Tenochtitlan.

Source three: (Mexica account)

• A Mexica account written in the Nahuatl language and found in a collection called General History of the Things of New Spain.

• The section talks about the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans’ alliance and their combined attack on Cholula.

Source Four: (pictures by Tlaxcalans)

• Composed of five pictures that are presented on what is called Lienzo.

• A Lienzo is a picture drawn on fabric that tells a story.

• Tlaxcalan artists crafted a series of 80 scenes in sequenced order, which told the story of the part they played in the Cortes victory over the Mexica.

• Three identical copies were made, around 1550 but none survived.

• However, a copy of them made in 19th century remains.

First Image

Tlaxcalans Greet Cortes at Atlihuetzyan

• First image: the Tlaxcalans’ initial greeting of Cortes, in which their rulers offer the Spanish leader gifts of peace

• Two chiefs, a Tlaxcalan great the bearded Cortes with flowers and food at the Waterfall.

• The woman is Cortes’ interpreter and guide. Dona maria is her given name after converting. She was Cortes’ trusted advisor and the most instrumental person to Cortes’ success.

Erecting a Cross

• Second image: Tlaxcalan Chiefs helping Cortes to put up a cross in their territory

• The inscription translates to: “received in Tlaxcala with open arms.”

Image on page: 462

Offering Gifts

• Third image: the Tlaxcalans give more gifts• The inscription translates to: “They offered

gifts”• The gifts offered are gold, jade artifacts,

textiles and women.

Image on page 462

Image Four

Baptism

• Fourth image: the baptism of the Tlaxcalan chiefs• Caption in the upper left corner reads: “when they

baptized the leaders”• Beneath the image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus,

four male leaders kneel and receive the communion from a priest.

• Three noble Tlaxcalan women stand behind the priest

• To the right, sits Cortes holding a crucifix and a Bible. Standing next to him is Maria

Fifth Image

The Battle of Cholula

• Fifth image: the assault on Cholula. • The dead, injured people with the hair bun,

are the Cholulans. • Tlaxcalan and Spaniards fight side by side.

They advance up the stairs to temple which is dedicated to Quetzalcoatl.

• Two figures in dark robes are Tlaxcalan nobles. • Maria is pointing towards the temple

Questions to think about

1. Although all of these are primary sources, are they same?

2. How does Cortes present the Tlaxcalans?3. How does the Mexica account differ from

those of Diaz and Cortes?

Homework

• Read Pp. 457-460 (True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo and General History of the things of new Spain by Bernadino de Sahagun).