COL155 Lecture 3 Spanish-Aztec Encounters Jonathan Fulton Spring 2014

Cortes’ Allies “Cortez enjoyed the help of tens of thousands of indispensable Indian allies, chief of whom were the people of Tlaxcala, bitter enemies of the Mexica.” (453)

Tlaxcala Initially resisted Spanish attempts at diplomacy Led to a series of battles which the Spanish (barely) won Tlaxcalans converted to Catholicism Became trusted allies of Spanish

Tlaxcala Result: “following the conquest, their land became a privileged, largely self-governing province that was showered with honors and exemptions during colonial times.” (453)

Sources of information about the conquest Spanish: Cortes’ letters and accounts; Bernal Diaz Indian: Mexica and Tlaxcalan

Sources of information about the conquest Cortes: sent back at least 6 reports to king of Spain, Charles 1. He describes the war and his experiences in the Americas Written a year after meeting the Tlaxcalans Text pp. 455-457)

Sources of information about the conquest Diaz: Written 50 years later, a detailed history of the entire campaign “Diaz is the most reliable Spanish eyewitness of the conquest.” (455) Much of what was written before Diaz was by people who had never been to the Americas or people who had a bias in favor of Cortes Text pp 457-459

Sources of information about the conquest Mexica: an account written in their language – Nahuatl, and published in a Spanish book Text pp 459-460

Sources of information about the conquest Tlaxcalan: pictorial. The Lienzo de Tlaxcala. Lienzo: a picture or series of pictures on fabric that tells a story. The Lienzo de Tlaxcala – a series of more than 80 scenes, chronological, tells the story of their role in the conquest of the Aztecs Was a gift for the viceroy of New Spain