Broken Spears: Aztec History

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Brandy Lewis
Washington State University
Unit 4 Broken Spears
9/19/201

Abstract The paper answered two questions. The first answer discussed the various documents that are featured in the book that discussed the points of view of the people that wrote them as well as the experience of the Spanish conquest. The second answer expressed the various ways that the accounts that are enclosed in The Broken Spears support the different disputes made in the textbook about the American or Columbian Exchange. The paper displayed the gaps in coverage between both sources, remembering that the book The Broken Spears is a main source

The Broken Spears
The book The Broken Spears was written by Miguel Leon-Portilla. Written from the Aztec …show more content…
There were several stories of people from different classes of the Aztec society, many of whom had their accounts included in the book as sources. These witnesses were priests, wise men, and common people among others. The immense majority of information about history of the Aztec empire is predominantly founded on the Spanish reports of events. This is the biggest reason that I believe this story is so special. I feel this way because it embodies a genuine point of view as told by the Aztec survivors. The text depicts the Spanish as horrible and violent invaders. It puts on display the Spanish exploitation of the Aztec people as well as slaying them for what some would say was without cause. The readings basically illustrated how the Spanish entered and heartlessly slaughtered the Aztec people. An example of Spanish cruelty comes in the book where the Spanish cordoned off access and egress to a palace to prevent any of the Aztec from leaving. Once this was done, the Spanish went through executing anyone they happened upon starting with the musicians. Additionally, Cortez gave the Aztec King a false sense of security by acting like they came in peace. How quickly this changed though as Cortez began the genocide of the
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