“How might the differences in Worldview
contribute to the dominance of one culture over
another?”
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Think about it…based on what you have
learned about the Spanish and the Aztecs,
what aspects of technology, religion, and
culture do you think might affect the meeting
between them?
Hernan Cortez was a Spanish Conquistador,
pretend that you are giving a speech
introducing him at a banquet to the King and
Queen of Spain. Write a draft of the speech
using the information in your text found on
page 216 of your text:
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What is the purpose
of this map? How do
the title, the legend,
and the content
contribute to
understanding its
purpose?
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Using the
information on this
map, make a
TIMELINE of Spanish
settlements in the
Americas? What does
this timeline tell you
about the peoples
Cortes met on his
way to the capital city
of the Aztecs?
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Cortes was a skilled conquistador. He thought
the Americas would be a good place to
acquire his fortune and become a powerful
ruler. Fill in the following chart outlining the
formula he used to conquer the Americas:
Who was Romeo Dallaire?
Do you think we was a hero? Why or why not?
What qualities make someone a hero?
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Fill in the blanks (page 221):
Cortes remained in _____________. After sometime
he wanted to explore the land mass west of
Cuba. The governor of Cuba, __________________
sent out two expeditions which brought back
exciting news. This was the opportunity Cortes
had been waiting for. What civilization do you
think the expeditions were talking about?
____________________________________
Write a report on what the Captain of the ships
would have reported when coming across this
“new civilization”. What would the expeditions
have seen? Why would they be so excited?
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Read page 222 – Respond to the OVER TO YOU
question # 3 on page 222.
Imagine you were a fighter in Cortés’s army. Write a
diary entry about Cortés’s decision to sink his ships.
Now imagine you were an Aztec who witnessed the
ships sinking. Write a brief message to Moctezuma
about the event.
Some points to consider for both the diary entry and
the message include the following:
Did Cortés have any other options besides sinking
the ships?
Why was Cortés so concerned with the grumbling of
his men?
Was Cortés so insecure in leadership that he needed
to worry about his army leaving him?
Was Cortés treating his men in such a way that he
had a reason to worry about revolt?
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Complete the
following chart
using pages 223229:
In what ways did
technology and
disease contribute
to the Spanish
dominance over the
Aztecs
Descriptio How did
n/Explana this tip
tion
the
balance in
favor of
the
Spanish?
Weapon(s)
Horse
Disease
Strategy
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The Aztec weapons included war clubs, wooden
spears, atlatls (spearthrowers), bows
and arrows and slings. The Spanish used swords,
halberds ( long spears with metal blades, an axe
point and a hook ), and crossbows
Because the Aztecs
weapons were mostly wooden, they could not
withstand the force of metal weaponsused by the
Spanish. The Spanish also had muskets and
cannons and they rode on horses which gave
them further advantages.
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Cortés established a colony on the coast as a power
base. On his march to the Aztec empire, he either
conquered or befriended other Indigenous peoples.
Totonac, and Tlaxcalan, warriors joined with the
Spanish against the Aztecs. The Cholulans, who were
allies of the Aztecs, were conquered so they could
not join forces with the Aztecs.
Cortés also defeated the Tabascan people. Malinche,
a slave of the Tabascan people, became an
intermediary, advisor and spy for Cortés. She became
an essential part of Cortés’s success. Cortés made
sure that the Aztecs saw and heard his muskets and
cannons at their first meeting together. This created
fear amongst the Aztecs. Cortés and his warriors
enter the city in a friendly manner and then later turn
on Moctezuma and the Aztec people.
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Disease also gave the Spanish an advantage.
The Aztecs had no resistance to European
diseases like smallpox. An epidemic broke
out in Tenochtitlan at a critical time in the
conflict. Many Aztecs died which weakened
the ability to defend the city and empire.
Later many Aztecs became sick from lack of
food and drinking contaminated water.
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Read ZOOM IN page 227. Answer the three bulleted
questions on page 227.
What was the primary effect of the epidemic?
The primary effect of the epidemic was the quick
death of about one-third of the population.
What was the secondary effect?
The secondary effect was that many others died of
starvation as there was no one to search for food and
prepare it.
Why do you think there is no mention of medical
help?
The Aztecs would not have any idea how to treat a
disease they had never before encountered. Medical
science was limited during this time period. There
was little anyone could do to treat smallpox until the
vaccination was developed in 1796.
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Using pages 229-234 Create a timeline of
events for the battle and invasion of
Tenochtitlan and the Aztec Empire:
Now that you have a timeline, write a
newscast from the Aztec point of view during
the Spanish conquest. Be sure to include
details on weaponry and smallpox in your
report.