The Broken Spears

Paper Summary:

This paper presents a critique of this book which tells the Aztec peoples' account of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The paper examines the way in which, throughout history, the conquest has been told from the viewpoint of the conquistadors - the Spanish victors. "The Broken Spears" was the first book to tell the story of the conquest from the Aztecs' perspective. The writer shows the difference between "The Broken Spears" and other history accounts whereby this book is not about historical data gathering but, rather, is of the storytelling and human emotion behind the Spanish conquest.

From the Paper:

"Hernando Cortes' army arrived in Mexico in the early 16th century and defeated the Mexicans in relatively short order.
Cortes had originally been sent to Mexico by the Cuban governor to search for gold, but when he was asked to withdraw and return to Havana, he gathered 11 ships and 600 troops and made his way to Mexico.

"Previous Spanish expeditions had been sent to Mexico as early as 1517, but Cortes was a very powerful, persuasive leader and was able to rally the troops, so to speak. Also, the Indians turned out to be very susceptible to the Spaniards' superior weapons, as well as the new European viruses such as smallpox, chicken-pox, and measles. Of crucial importance was the Aztec leader's (Moctezuma) indecisiveness about Cortes' motives and confusion as to whether Cortes' arrival was a spiritual arrival or a spiritual sign a major mistake. Finally, the Mexican Indians were internally divided and there was much internal resentment about the Aztec domination in Mexico. Therefore, the Tlaxcaltecs and others " the Aztecs' enemies " became the Spaniards' allies."

More papers on The Broken Spears:

• Essay # 34015 : "The Broken Spears"
• Book Review # 101705 : "Miguel Leon-Portilla's "Broken Spears"
• Book Review # 95632 : "'Broken Spear"

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