Posted on 08/12/2021 2:02:01 PM PDT by Borges
Was the 1521 surrender of the great Indigenous empire to the Spanish crown a triumphant conquest, an existential tragedy—or even a genocide?
The remains of a massive cypress tree sits inside a small plaza in Mexico City, surrounded by fencing and illuminated by four spotlights at night. An old sign explains its significance: “This is the tree where Hernán Cortés wept after being defeated by the Aztec defenders.”
We Mexicans call it El Árbol de la Noche Triste, or The Tree of the Sad Night, and learn about it since grade school from government-issued history textbooks. The story goes something like this: In March 1519, a couple of hundred Spaniards, led by a stubborn but resourceful man with some legal training named Hernán Cortés, appeared on the Gulf of Mexico coast. They established contact with the mighty Aztecs of central Mexico and, after exchanging messages and gifts, made their way to the Valley of Mexico and the Aztec stronghold of Tenochtitlan (downtown Mexico City).
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalgeographic.com ...
“Confronts”? I just spent 2 weeks in Mexico City. They’re getting ready for a big celebration! They are building a giant pyramid in the Zocalo and getting ready to party.
American media really need to stop trying to force the woke nonsense onto our “Latinx” neighbors.
And the thing is, racial hierarchies leave behind a more bitter taste than class or estate hierarchies. If your ancestors were Spanish peasants you may not know who to blame and may not have much of a grievance anymore. If you are a Mexican Indian, it's different.
I agree. Today’s Mexicans should be ashamed of how some of their ancestors treated some of their other ancestors.
/s
No.
About the same time the Spanish were in Mexico my family was dealing with the french and, a bit later, the English. They, while no angels, did not act like the Spanish possibly because they were not corrupted by the mohammedan religion.
The Conquistadors were maybe 1 generation removed from the Reconquista. They had fathers uncles even older brothers who had fought the Moors
They were tough nasty guys looking to make a fortune with no good job prospects at home other than fighting the French and or hiring out to some other European power. The tactics and weapons they had were too much for Aztecs Incas and others. Horses, iron and leather armor, guns, crossbow, war dogs, steel swords, Lance.
Even people descendant from Spanish can be really nasty and woke cultist about it. They see it like being the product of a rape.
Cortes had auxiliaries made up of indigenous tribes struggling under Aztec rule. Not just the 200 men.
At its height, ‘El Andalus’ was probably the most advanced region in Europe - I’m talking about the era of Maimonides etc. You sound like you’re repeating the notorious Black Legend.
Not so different from American kids today who always claim to identify with the historical underdogs.
The main reason wasn’t even smallpox. It was a woman named Malinche who was multilingual who facilitated communication between Cortez and neighboring ally tribes AND the Aztecs. He could not have formed the alliances he needed to defeat them.
Did they kill 330,000 little kids a year?
Why are they having a celebration in Spanish? Shouldn’t they be having the celebration in the native Aztec language? Spanish is the language of the European colonialists.
Bernal Diaz says he is not sure if the Spanish, during their visit, were fed human meat or not. Montezuma often ate it.
Ohhh! A nice painting from Nat Geo back when it was not a political magazine.
Ping
The thing about smallpox and other diseases is no one knew what caused it. It was believed “Bad Air”, a ‘witches hex’ or the ‘evil eye’ were the cause of it.
***It was a woman named Malinche***
Actually two people. A man and a woman. She knew Aztec and Mayan, and a Spaniard who had been held captive in Yucatan and knew Mayan.
Cortez told the Spaniard what to say and he translated into Mayan.
Malinche then translated from Mayan into Aztec.
I won’t create an account with Disney/National Geographic in order to read the story.
I’d read it if anyone can get us all a free copy.
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