True History of the Conquest of New Spain
Primary source written by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a soldier of Hernan Cortes’s
who helped in conquering the Aztecs and later wrote a history of the events.
As Bernal Diaz and his fellow soldiers entered Tenochtitlan:
“And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the water,
and other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level
causeway leading to Mexico [i.e. Tenochtitlan], we were astounded.
These great towns and cues [i.e., temples] and buildings rising from
the water, all made of stone, seemed like an enchanted vision.
Indeed, some of our soldiers asked whether it was not all a dream.
It was all so wonderful that I do not know how to describe this first
glimpse of things never heard of, seen or dreamed of before. . . .
Gazing on such wonderful sights, we did not know what to say, or
whether what appeared before us was real, for on one side, on the
land, there were great cities, and in the lake ever so many more,
and the lake itself was crowded with canoes, and in the Causeway
were many bridges at intervals, and in front of us stood the great
City of Mexico, and we,—we did not even number four hundred
soldiers! and we well remembered the warnings that had been
given that we should beware of entering Mexico, where they would
kill us, as soon as they had us inside.”
Aztec Everyday Life – fill in the blanks using the word bank.
The people of the Aztec empire had mandatory ___________________, regardless of gender
or class, so people in the Aztec society were generally well educated.
Except for the nobility, the people were quite poor. Common people lived in adobe
_____________, made of mud bricks. One building was for sleeping, cooking, eating and
worship. Another building contained a steam bath. It was believed that the bath was important
for good health.
They spoke their own ________________ (Nahuatal) and used an accurate 365-day
____________________ based around their harvest seasons. The Aztec’s entire culture was
dominated by ___________________. They made colorful ___________ and masks and
covered the bodies of children in spiritual _______________. They had religious celebrations
full of song, dance and sports to pay tribute to all of their ___________.
In Aztec culture ________________ were glorified for religious reasons. Taking prisoners to
_________________ to the gods was an essential ritual in Aztec daily life. They believed that
they owed a blood-debt to their gods, and would sacrifice thousands of people every year!
Though life was very structured, it seemed close to chaos as the people were very
____________________ and tried to avoid natural (and imagined) disasters.
Homes
Word Bank:
Warriors
Tattoos
Aztec Calendar
Language
Religion
Gods
Superstitious
Education
Calendar
Art Sacrifice
Huitzilopochtli (God of the Sun and War)
Aztec Ball Game – Ullamaliztli
True History of the Conquest of New Spain
Primary source written by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a soldier of Hernan Cortes’s who helped in
conquering the Aztecs and later wrote a history of the events.
Bernal Diaz’s main purpose for his writing was to set the record straight about what took place during
the Spanish conquest.
-Cortes’s army making its way through Mexico:
“What an opportunity for fine writing the events of this most perilous and uncertain battle
present! We were four hundred, of whom many were sick and wounded, and we stood in the
middle of a plain six miles long, and perhaps as broad, swarming with Indian warriors.
Moreover we knew that they had come determined to leave none of us alive except those who
were to be sacrificed to their idols.
When they began to charge the stones sped like hail from their slings, and their barbed and
fire-hardened darts fell like corn on the threshing-floor, each one capable of piercing any armor
or penetrating the unprotected vitals. Their swordsmen and spearmen pressed us hard, and
closed with us bravely, shouting and yelling as they came. The steadfastness of our artillery,
musketeers, and bowmen did much to save us, and we inflicted great casualties on them. Our
horsemen were skillful and fought so valiantly that, after God who protected us, they were our
chief defense.... One thing alone saved our lives: they were so badly led that some of their
captains could not bring their men into battle.”
-As Bernal Diaz and his fellow soldiers entered Tenochtitlan:
“And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the water, and other great
towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico [i.e.
Tenochtitlan], we were astounded. These great towns and cues [i.e., temples] and
buildings rising from the water, all made of stone, seemed like an enchanted vision.
Indeed, some of our soldiers asked whether it was not all a dream. It was all so
wonderful that I do not know how to describe this first glimpse of things never heard
of, seen or dreamed of before. . . .
Gazing on such wonderful sights, we did not know what to say, or whether what appeared
before us was real, for on one side, on the land, there were great cities, and in the lake ever so
many more, and the lake itself was crowded with canoes, and in the Causeway were many
bridges at intervals, and in front of us stood the great City of Mexico, and we,—we did not
even number four hundred soldiers! and we well remembered the warnings that had been given
that we should beware of entering Mexico, where they would kill us, as soon as they had us
inside.”