Unit 2 History: Mesoamerica

How did Cortez and Motecuhzoma speak to each other in the Aztec account?

They spoke to each other with great respect.

Was there violence in their first interaction?

No, there was no violence

What shaped the way Cortez and Motecuhzoma interacted?

Their different status, position, and class.

Why did Motecuhzoma treat Cortez with so much respect?

Because

• he thought Cortez was a god

• saw him as very powerful.

What kind of relationship does the account describe between them?

A servant-and-lord relationship:

• Motecuhzoma as the servant

• Cortez as the lord.

What were Aztec priests responsible for?

Keeping order in the cosmos.

How did priests try to prevent disasters?

By appeasing the gods, often through human sacrifice.

What did priests believe disasters were?

Punishments from the gods.

Cyclical History (Aztec Belief)

The idea that history repeats in cycles.

What marked each cycle in Aztec religion?

Terrible disasters.

What did the Aztecs believe would eventually happen to the world?

It would end in a massive apocalypse.

How did trade help hold the Incan Empire together?

• It allowed regions to share resources:

  • like food and supplies, when one area was lacking.

Incan Administrative Structure

• A government system

• officials in charge of different regions

  • kept the empire organized and maintain order

Why were Incan roads important?

They let messengers, armies, and goods move quickly across the empire.

Quechua

The common language; helped people from different regions communicate and stay united.

How did religion help unify the Incan Empire?

A shared religion..

• connected the people

• encouraged loyalty to the empire

Why were many groups unhappy under Aztec rule?

Because of high taxes and human sacrifice.

Why did some Indigenous groups choose to join Cortés?

They disliked Aztec control so much that they preferred to support the Spanish.

How did alliances with Indigenous groups help Cortés?

They provided him with thousands of extra fighters and supplies.

What advantage did these allies give Cortés in his fight against the Aztec Empire?

• made him much stronger

• helped him successfully challenge the empire

How did strong central rulers make conquest easier for the Spanish?

Once the Spanish captured the leader, the rest of the empire became easier to control.

How did organized government systems help the Spanish?

Could easily replace native officials with their own administrators.

Why did the link between religion and government matter?

Controlling religious leaders helped the Spanish gain political power.

How did people’s obedience to authority help the Spanish takeover?

People were used to following one main authority, which made conquest simpler.

What internal factor especially helped the Spanish in the Aztec Empire?

Many groups disliked their rulers and were willing to support the Spanish.

Why were Indigenous laborers cheaper for the Spanish than African slaves?

The Spanish didn’t have to pay for:

• long-distance transport

• purchase costs 

  • making Indigenous labor much cheaper

Why didn’t the Spanish rely heavily on African slaves in the Andes?

Transporting African slaves to the highlands was expensive and difficult.

How did the environment affect labor choices?

Indigenous people were already adapted to high-altitude conditions, while African slaves were not.

Why were African slaves less “effective” in the mines?

• Mine work was extremely dangerous

• Africans often died quickly in those conditions

  • making them less efficient for the Spanish

What was Cortés focused on in the first section?

Gaining Motecuhzoma’s trust so he could…

• manipulate him

• get the Aztecs to lower their guard

Why did Cortés want Motecuhzoma to trust him?

So Cortés could..

• make the Aztecs feel safe

• make the conquest easier.

What was Motecuhzoma focused on in the first section?

• Serving Cortés

• building a positive relationship with him

Why was Motecuhzoma so respectful toward Cortés?

He believed Cortés might be a god or divine figure, so he wanted to stay on his good side.

How did the Aztecs’ opinion of the Spanish change in the “Massacre in the Main Temple” section?

• They immediately changed their mind

• realized the Spanish were dangerous and untrustworthy

How did Cortés betray Motecuhzoma?

Cortés ordered Motecuhzoma to be imprisoned, breaking the trust he had built.

What does the Aztec account say about the Spanish during the festival?

The Spanish killed innocent dancers and singers who were unarmed.

What does this violence show about the Aztecs’ position during the attack?

It shows the Aztecs were completely defenseless against the Spanish attack.