Social Studies chapter 10-11 test Flashcards
Hernan Cortes
Early Life-
- in charge of Spanish troops
-believed he would make his fortune in the Caribbean.
-Cortes travelled to the New World at 19 and conquered the island of Cuba
Hernan Cortes
Cortes in South America
When he arrived in Mexico, Cortés established a town, on the coast of Mexico, and declared an
independent government. Now he was responsible only to the King of Spain and not Governor Valezquez.
- sent a ship full of valuables back to Spain and sunk all the others so his men couldn’t defect to Cuba- he needed to keep his fighting force with him.
Conquistadors Formula:
- Explore
- Find the most powerful civilisation and meet peacefully with them
- Exchange gifts and surprise attack their leader
- If you have to fight, fight in the open
- Enslave indigenous population and repeat
Role of weapons:
War club (Aztecs)
-Very heavy
-Had to use two hands to use it
-Break easily after hitting hard surfaces such as Spanish armour
Sword (Spanish)
-1 metre long
-needle pointed
-double edged
-sharp as a razor
-Could use this weapon while holding a shield in their other hand or the reins of their horse
wooden spear (Aztecs)
-sharp enough to go through the human body
-you had to be very close to use it
-it needed to be used on unprotected parts of the body such as the eyes and thought
Halberd (Spanish)
-over 2 metres long
-had a spear blade
-axe point
-hook
Atlatl (spear thrower) (Aztecs)
-A piece of jointed wood
-Allowed Aztecs to throw a short spear great distances
-using much more force than using its arm alone
Crossbow (Spanish)
-Could shoot a wooden arrow with lots of force
-could penetrate even the thickest armour
musket (Spanish)
-Long rifle like guns
-fired from the shoulder
horses (Spanish)
-Great size
-great power
-The Spanish were such trained riders that they could hold the reins of their horse with one and another with a weapon or shield
Role of disease:
- Since the Aztecs had no immunity against Smallpox, many died.
- This gave the Spanish a fighting advantage over the Aztecs.
How did Cortes use neighbouring Indigenous civilisations to defeat the Aztecs?
- Totonacs: Cortes gave them protection from the Aztecs in exchange for warriors
- Tlaxcalans: tried to fight Spanish but in the end, gave Cortes 1000 soldiers to keep the peace.
- Cholulans: loyal to the Aztecs but the spy 4. Malinche overheard a conspiracy to attack the Spanish so Cortes and his men conquered them
This gave Cortes many more men to attack the Aztecs.
Malinche
-Became a slave after her father’s death
- She and other slaves were given to Cortes as gifts for defeating the Tabascan people.
- he needed a link between him and
Moctezuma
- She could speak the Aztec language and
later on learned how to speak Spanish
- She became Cortes’s assistant and spy
- many people called her two-faced. This was because she was on both sides and would bring information back and fo rth
How did the battle of Tenochtitlan unfold?
- Moctezuma waited for Spanish troops to enter the city and then he gave them a big welcome.
- Cortés and his forces were taken to live in the palace of Moctezuma’s late father.
- The Aztecs showed them the glories of their city-Cortes and his men were particularly interested in the gold
- the desire to lead this mighty society finally caused Cortés to attack.
- The Spanish placed Moctezuma under house arrest in his palace. They looted gold from the royal palaces and melted it down. - - They then forced Moctezuma to make
himself a subject of Spanish rule
- Chapter 11
Encomienda system
The Aztecs also became part of a new economic system
- A Spanish system that gave Spanish settlers land grants when they arrived in a colony
- With each piece of land, settlers were given a certain number of Aztec workers.
- The Spanish did not pay these workers but they did get legal rights.
New hierarchy in Mexico:
The Spanish Crown: takes the King’s fifth: 20% of all gold and other valuables found in New Spain
Governor or Viceroy: Collected the taxes that supported himself, the government and the Spanish Crown
Spanish Conquistadors and settlers: given Aztec workers as free labour
had to pay their taxes then keep the rest of the profits
Aztec people- did all the work in exchange for basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter
Cortez Marriage Laws
-Cortes was worried that his men may return to Cuba so he made a new law stating every Spaniard had to bring his wife over from Spain or marry an Indigenous women- this had to happen within 6 months or they would lose their Encomienda (free land and Aztec slaves).
Mestizo- the children of Spwho married Indigenous- their
Ethnic demographics of Mexico today (what are the different groups of people who make up Mexico today?)
60% Mestizos (children of Spanish men and Indigenous women)
30% Indigenous
9% European
1% Other
Cortes’ marriage laws had a huge effect on the ethnic demographics of modern-day Mexico.
The Independence Movement
Why did King Carlos take away
Cortés’ authority?
King Carlos of Spain fired Cortes and gave the job of being in charge of New Spain to Don Antonio de Mendoza.
The king thought Cortés was too selfish and might declare himself king New Spain.
This was to ensure that New Spain remained under control of the Spanish Crown.
