“Spanish Exploration & Conquest”
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1ay/chapter/spanish-exploration-and-conquest/ (Links to an external site.)
“Aztec Accounts of the Conquest”
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory1ay/chapter/primary-source-reading-aztec-accounts-of-the-conquest/ (Links to an external site.)
In the first paragraph, explain which of these readings (linked above) is a “primary source” and which is a “secondary source.” (You may need to look up the meanings of “primary” and “secondary” to answer this question.)
In your second paragraph, explain the following:  What in this reading proves the historical statement that the Spanish came to the New World for “God, Gold, & Glory”?  Describe in two or three sentences the grandeur of the Aztec civilization.  What was the Aztec capital named?  What parts of the New World did the Aztecs control?  What internal division was causing problems in the Aztec Empire even before the Spanish arrived?
In Paragraph 3, after reading “Aztec Accounts of the Conquest” and by incorporating information from the reading “Spanish Exploration and Conquest,” explain the following:  The Aztec King Motecuchzoma (Montezuma) obviously mistook Cortes for someone else.  Who did he mistake him for?  How did Cortes and his men take advantage of this mistaken identity?  Who served as a translator between the Aztecs and Spanish?
In Paragraph 4, explain why the areas of Mexico and into South America proved most profitable for the Spanish.  What was the class (or caste) system based on in the Spanish New World Empire?  Who were considered the highest class, with the most privileges?  Why did Spanish men marry Indian women?  What were the people called who were a result of this union?  Is the religious image Our Lady of Guadalupe Spanish or Indian or both?  What does this show was happening as a result of the Spanish conquest?
In your concluding paragraph:  fast-forward to the 21st century (today).  What do you see around you or in today’s world that can be traced back to the times that Spain conquered the New World?  Recall that the Spanish considered the Meztizos to be inferior to pure-blood Europeans and would not let them into upper class.  In your opinion, is someone’s ethnicity still important to their status in life in America today?  Defend your answer.

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