CHY 4U1 – Image Analysis
The Age of Discovery – Conquerors in the New World
Discussing the Illustration:
1) Christopher Columbus certainly wanted wealth and fame from his explorations. He
also wanted to spread the Christian faith. Other explorers were moved much more
that he was by plain greed and a desire for conquest. One such explorer was
Hernando Cortes. What do you about Cortes?
2) In 1521, Cortes captured the city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of a great empire. What
empire was that, and in what present day nation was it located?
3) What do you know about the way Cortes and other Spanish conquerors dealt with the
Indians? From what you know, does the painting above here appear to be an accurate
account of this?
4) The conquest of Mexico is only one example of the ruthlessness of the Spanish
“Conquistadors”. From your history reading, how would you explain the fact that
Europeans and Native Americans both often reacted to one another so violently?