Chapter 11: Worldviews in Conflict How does cultural contact between two societies affect their identity and worldview?
Changing a Worldview How can losing a war affect a conquered people s worldview? Like the Black Death in Europe the Spanish conquest was a catastrophe, or disaster, for the Aztecs. It affected almost every aspect of their way of life, forcing them to rethink the way they looked at the world.
A New Religion During the final siege of Tenochtitlan the Aztecs continued making sacrifices and prayers, hoping the gods would lead them to victory but when this defeat happened many felt that the gods had abandoned them. Cortés asked King Carlos to send him religious people. Three years after the conquest, priests of the Franciscan order arrived at Veracruz. These priests vowed to live in the poorest of conditions, never get married and obey their superiors. They walked the 500 kilometers to Mexico city and were greeted by Hernan Cortes who dropped to his knees and kissed the hem of each of their robes. The Aztecs were amazed at this sight because they had never seen him treat anyone with such respect.
Destroying Aztec Temples The Franciscans and other missionaries gradually converted many of the surviving Aztecs to the Catholic faith. During this time, the Spanish destroyed the Aztec temples and burned all of the Aztec codices that they could find.
Where do these artifacts belong???
New Economy In addition to changing their religion, the Aztecs were also forced to become part of a new economic system. As soon as the Aztecs surrendered, the Spanish introduced the encomienda system. This was the system that they used in other colonies in the Americas. With each piece of land, settlers were given a number of Aztec workers. The Spanish did not pay these workers but they did have some legal rights. The landowners were supposed to treat them right and educate them in the Catholic religion. However, many of the landowners still abused the Aztec workers. Even though the Spanish crown tried to stop the abuses, but the colonies were so far away from Spain that the laws had very little effect. The economy in Mexico no longer increased the riches of the Aztecs. Instead it was the Spanish who became the richest people and the Aztecs were the poorest.
Draw and label the diagram of the encomienda system on page 242 which shows the new economic system introduced by the Spanish and how it affected the Aztecs.
The Encomienda System Which perspective do you agree with??? 1. Textbook Page 248 Read the arguments why King Carlos I did not support the Encomienda system and why Cortes did support it. 2. With a partner explain the criteria that Carlos and Cortes used to support their arguments. 3. Choose that you believe is the strongest argument for both sides, explain why you believe this is the strongest argument. 4. Decide who you would side with and have evidence to support your answer.
A New Worldview Emerges How can intercultural contact produce a new society that combines aspects of both original societies?
Setting up a Colony Setting up a Colony The Aztecs weren t the only ones to have to surrender their way of life. Plundered Gold As soon as the Aztecs surrendered, Cortés men threatened to rebel against him because when he was in Cuba he had promised to make them very rich when they went to Mexico. However, during the siege with the Aztecs, most of the riches of gold and sliver were sent back to Spain. Most of the Spanish soldiers had been fighting for many years without any pay. They were told that what they could take in battle from the Aztecs would be their payment instead. Cortés agreed that they deserved more and asked the Crown for more money to pay them. Cortés needed these men to help him build his colony in New Spain.
Cortés Solution Cortés solved his problem by implementing two policies. The first was the encomienda system. He also passed a marriage law in which every Spaniard in New Spain either had to bring his wife over from Spain or marry an indigenous woman. Any man who did not have a wife in six months would lose his encomienda.
A Changing Worldview By giving his soldiers land grants and getting them to marry, Cortés shifted their focus from short-term goals of finding gold and then returning to Spain to the long-term project of establishing a colony in New Spain. Cortés knew that getting the men to marry Indigenous women would strengthen their ties to the colony. The children of these mixed raced people were the beginning of the Mestizo. People which now form the largest part of the people that live in Mexico.
The Independence Movement Just as Cortés was turning his soldiers into settlers, King Carlos took the government of New Spain away from him. The King gave it to Don Antonio de Mendoza who became the first viceroy, or royal representative in New Spain. Many think that the reason the king removed Cortes from the job was that he believed that Cortés would declare himself to be king of the colony and separate from Spain. Another reason was that the King thought that Cortés would probably look after his own interests first and those of the king second.
Discontent in New Spain King Carlos made it clear that the colony of New Spain was under the control of the Spanish crown. This meant that there would be a constant supply of tributes - gold, silver and farm products sent to Spain to pay for the king s European wars. The people of New Spain including the Spanish settlers could see that while this was good for the King, and was making Spain very wealthy, it was not necessarily good for them. New Spain did not have good roads, schools or housing. Discontent arose in New Spain and in 1821 Mexico became independent from Spain.
Name the three groups of people found in Modern Mexico and provide an explanation about them. 1. The Indigenous People The original Inhabitants of Mexico. An example od these people are the Aztecs. Some indigenous groups did become allies with the Spanish to defeat the Aztecs. 2. The Mestizos This is the largest population of people in modern day Mexico making up 60% of the population. 3. The Creoles These people are the direct descendants of the Spanish settlers in Mexico. They were the most privileged and wealthiest class.
Mexican Culture Today Modern Mexico is a combination of the Indigenous, Mestizo, and Spanish traditions. Although the Spanish introduced Catholicism to Mexico, church festivals today also include Aztec traditions that were developed long before the Spanish arrived.
Mexican Culture Today On page 252 you read about the Day of the Dead celebrations. Roman Catholics celebrate All Souls Day on November 1 st of every year. Mexicans, including Roman Catholics, celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2 nd. Explain the three main parts of this religious celebration. 1. The family alter Each house will build an alter with offering of food water and incense. 2.The Day Before Families take baskets of marigold flowers to church where they are blessed with holy water. The family the creates a trail a pedals to lead the dead back to the families house so the souls can enjoy the offerings. 3. The Day of the Dead On the Evening of November 2 nd a community of people walk to the cemetery. There is music playing as people pray for their dead. Candles are lit and placed on head stones so the souls can find their way back to the graves
Mexican Artists and Writers Another way to see how Aztec and Spanish traditions have combined is to look at their artists and writers. Two of the most famous of these artists are discussed on page 254 in your textbook. Provide a short summary of each of them in the space provided. Frida Kahlo - Frida was a skilled and influential painter who was fascinated with Mexican folk art and the sculptures and architecture of the counties indigenous people. Octavio Paz - He is the best known artist of the 20 th century. He believed that only by studying Mexico's history can one understand what is happening in present-day Mexico. His poetry looked to Aztec culture for inspiration. It was given the structure of a circle and uses imagery carved into the stone calendar.
Vocabulary Plaque A historical marker signifying where a significant historical event occurred. Ideology A set of values Catastrophe a disaster Franciscan Order A group od Catholic priests who took a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience and worked with the poor lower class. Encomienda System - A Spanish system that gave settlers land grants when they arrived in a colony. Viceroy - The representative of the Crown in a foreign region.
1. What happens once a war is over? Do the winners always make the losers give up their traditions or beliefs? Or do both sides adopt parts of one another s worldview? Provide examples. When a war is over it depends on how inclusive the dominant group is and whether or not they would be willing to accept other ways of life. For example when the Muslims took over Spain they did not force people to change their religion. The Spanish on the other hand attempted to destroy almost all aspects of the Aztec culture by destroying temples and burning codices. Nevertheless Aztec culture is still represented through modern Mexican art.
Think of an event or person that seriously challenged or even changed some element of your worldview. What did this event change about your thinking or behaviour? How did this event make you feel? Personal Responce
What sorts of things could lead or force a whole society to make substantial changes to its worldview? Catastrophe s which are man made or natural disasters can have a substantial impact on individual and societal worldview. War between the Spanish and the Aztecs is an example of an event that could challenge someone to change their worldview. Also something as simple as being exposed to different worldviews and ideologies can change an societal worldview.
In Chapters 7 and 8, you read how important religion was to the Aztecs. How might the destruction of their temples have affected their sense of identity? As we learned religion was the main pillar of life for the Aztecs. Their temples were built in the shapes of mountains. Mountains were more than just a physical site for the Aztecs they believed that this is where the physical and spiritual worlds met. The destruction of the temples could them have symbolized the destruction of their physical and spiritual world.
In Canada, there are about 6.7 million people whose first language is French. Do you think that they (Québécois, Acadians, and Francophones living in other provinces) all have the same worldview, or is each of them different? Explain your answer. Some aspects of their worldview would be similar as language does have a strong connection to culture and a related set of values. Nevertheless each of these groups have had different experiences which would have inevitably changed their collective and individual worldviews throughout history.
In what ways did the structure of Aztec society change because of contact with the Spanish? The Aztecs social hierarchy completely changes as a result of contact with the Spanish. The Aztecs had a well organized society where all people have specific roles and responsibilities. With the introduction of a new economic system, encomienda, Aztecs were all now forced in to a position of slavery with very little rights and responcibilities.
What impact did the Spanish conquest have on the religion of the Aztec people? In other words, what things changed? The Spanish conquest almost lead to the complete destruction of the Aztec religion. As the Aztecs continued to lose the battle for Tenochtitlan they continued to pray and make sacrifices. When their situation did not change they believed their Gods had abandoned them. Additionally, with the arrival of the Franciscan order of priests they were educated in the Catholic faith.
How did the economy change as a result of the Spanish conquest? The economy changed as the Aztecs were forced in to slavery and the majority of the wealth was sent to Spain. This made the Spanish empire richer as the Aztecs became the foundation for the poor lower class.