Spanish and Aztec questions

• 1. In what ways did intercultural contact between the Aztec and the Spanish effect each society’s worldview?

  • The Spanish had some changes in their worldview because of contact with the Aztec. The home country was able to gain access to gold and other natural resources, which gave the country wealth and a strong economy. They also gained political power because the size of the Spanish empire grew. The Aztec had a change in their worldview, but it was mostly negative.
• 2. How did the structure of the Aztec society tell us what was important to the Aztec people?

  • Aztec society had a hierarchical structure. This tells us that not everyone in society was considered equal.
• 3. In what ways did King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella impose their religious worldview on Spanish society?

  • Ferdinand and Isabella followed the Roman Catholic religion. They sponsored the Spanish Inquisition which forced anyone who was not Catholic to change their religion or move out of the country.
• 4. How did the geographic features of Spain and Mexico create challenges and opportunities for people who lived in those areas?

  • Spain and Mexico both have mountainous terrain. In both countries, these mountains formed natural barriers which made travelling difficult. This is a good thing if you want to avoid invasion from enemies.
• 5. What were the levels of class structure in Aztec society? 

  -Ruler and his family

  -Nobles

  -Commoners

  -Peasants

  -Slaves
• 6. Describe the strategies used by Hernán Cortés to conquer the Aztec. Why were these strategies so effective?

  • He used trickery by telling half-truths to get Moctezuma to trust him and then (almost literally) stabbing him in the back when it was convenient for him to take control. He also built alliances with neighbouring peoples to the Aztec, asking them to unite against the common Aztec enemy. Little did these people know that the Spanish posed more of a threat than the Aztec did.
• 7. Why did the Aztec migrate to southern Mexico and settle in Tenochtitlan?

  • The Aztec oral history tells a story that the tribe had to move from northern Mexico and was wandering homeless trying to find a place to be. Their leader at the time had a vision of their homeland where an eagle would land on a cactus on an island in the middle of a lake and kill a snake.
• 8. Explain the importance of land ownership to the Spanish nobility.

  • Spanish nobility was very concerned with wealth and status. Spain’s economy was based on farming, so owning more land meant that you could have more farmers working for you. You could get money from rent and from selling the goods your peasants would grow.
• 9. Who was Father Bartolomé de Las Casas? What did he do? Why could he be considered a human rights activist?

  • Father de Las Casas was a monk and Catholic missionary. He came to the New World to spread the Catholic faith to the Indigenous peoples of Mexico. When he arrived, he saw that they were being treated as slaves and abused. He felt this was not right and he tried to do everything in his power to stop this from happening. He petitioned the King and his wishes were granted when Indigenous slavery was outlawed in New Spain (Mexico) in the mid-1500’s.