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Part A:

1. http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/hist1105, or http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/, then selecting Resource Guides, History and finally Europe, Empire and the World 2. Bar Smith Main collection, 909.08 M3467o 3. Cook, Noble. Born to Die: Disease and New World Conquest. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Bar Smith Main collection, 614.497 C771b 4. Levy, Buddy. 2008. The Great Rash. In Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam Books. 5. Mackenthun, Gesa. 1996. The Conquistador as Improviser and the Magic of Colonial Discourse: Cortes and Hariot. European Contributions to American Studies 34: 8187. 6. Hassing, Ross. 2007. How Cortes Won Mexico by Losing. Millitary History 24: 60. 7. Cortes, Hernan. Corts on Meeting Moctezuma. American Historical Association. http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm.

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Part B: Critical assessment of the historical document Speeches of Motecuhzoma and Cortes

Cortes account of his meeting with the Aztec King Montezuma at the entrance to the Aztec capital Tenochitihan shaped the conduct of Spanish conquistadors to follow and his account of his meeting with Montezuma was critical in the capture of the Incan Emperor Atahualpa1. The intent however was not to inform other conquistadors, its purpose was much more personal to Cortes. This purpose affects how the document was written, and separating the fact from exaggeration is critical in examining history. It is rare in the history of the New World to have records of exchanges between Europeans and American natives written by both sides of the exchange2. Cortes and Montezumas meeting is one of these rare exchanges, which has written accounts by several Spanish eye witnesses and a surviving Aztec account. Using more than one perspective allows a more informed analysis into the understanding of historical events, by contrasting both sides we can legitimize characteristics which would otherwise be conjecture or hidden. The surviving Aztec account, which only exists as a translation of the original, is of unknown author and audience. Given that within Aztec society illiteracy was limited to only a portion of the Aztec aristocracy and their retinues, it is a reliable conclusion that it was written by and for the Aztec aristocracy3. In this analysis I will be comparing the two documents to

Diamond, Jared M. 1997. Collision at Cajamarca In Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W.W. Norton. 2 Johansen, Bruce Elliott, and Barry Pritzker. 2007. Encyclopedia of American Indian History. ABC-CLIO. 421, Languages and Language renewal" 3 Johansen, Bruce Elliott, and Barry Pritzker. 2007. Encyclopedia of American Indian History. ABC-CLIO. 425-426, Language, Written in America,Pre-contact"

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determine, to what extent Cortes bias affects his account, the real nature of the event, and a possible explanation of the inconsistencies between the two accounts.

Cortes ventured to the Americas as a colonist intent to find fortune, inspired by stories of explorers and conquistadors before him4. After years of exploits expanding Spanish control of the Caribbean he was given a mandate to explore and subjugate Mesoamerica. While having already made great wealth for himself through previous exploits, the oportunity offered untold riches and glory. Eager with opportunity, Cortes disregarded the revocation of his mandate in direct defiance of chain of command, and responded by claiming to be only under the command of the King of Spain, Charles V. On the journey to the capital, Cortes incorporated many natives into his army and retinue, displaying great tact and resourcefullness. He was received at the capital by Montezuma, and the account of which is given by both documents5.

From Cortes account the meeting took place upon a causeway connecting the Aztec capital to the Mesoamerican mainland, where Montezuma brought hundreds of his important kinsmen, in a great ceremony. After Cortes and Montezuma exchanged jewelry, the Spanish were offered housing within the capital city. Then Montezuma and

Koestler-Grack, Rachel A., and William H. Goetzmann. 2006. Hernando Cortes and the Fall of the Aztecs. Chelsea House Publishers. 12 5 Koestler-Grack, Rachel A., and William H. Goetzmann. 2006. Hernando Cortes and the Fall of the Aztecs. Chelsea House Publishers. 44

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Cortes spoke, Montezuma outlining his authority and his mandate for ruling over the Aztec empire6.

Cortes account is found in a letter to the King of Spain Charles V, the intent of the document is to garner glory and wealth from his masters, and also to legitimize his mutiny against his superiors hoping to impress the king with the wealth of the Aztec and the ease of conquest. The subjects covered by Cortes account reflects this and focuses on the gifts and is more concerned with resources than the Aztec account. Cortes account is less embellishing than what one risking his life in such a way to write. Due to the accounts modesty of the resources it would be interesting if the account was not accurate, taking into account the scale of the Aztec empire.

While many inconsistencies of the speeches can be explained through the bias of their respective authors, there are inconsistencies found in the speeches which are too cryptic to be7. During Cortes stay in the Aztec capital he had been lead to believe that the Aztecs viewed him as either the god Quetzalcoatl or Quetzalcoatls emissary, a view which does not appear in any Aztec account or recorded by Spanish translators. It was not uncommon for miscommunications between Cortes and the natives in his army, and it would be naive to assume that the Spanish and the Aztecs had perfect translation. The inconsistencies between the two accounts were caused by a less a variable outside of the domain of both

Cortes, Hernan. Corts on Meeting Moctezuma. American Historical Association. http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm. 7 Leon-Porttilla, Miguel. 1952. Speeches of Motecuhzoma and Corts. Beacon Press. http://emsc33.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/ghgonline/units/4/documents/LeonPortilla.pdf

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authors, giving the reason behind the differing accounts of the words spoke by Montezuma and Cortes as mistranslation8.

Cortes letter to Charles V of Spain gives a detailed description of what the Spanish experienced when they met with the Aztec emperor, while it later failed in its intended purpose according to its author as later in life Cortes expressed displeasure over his lack of compensation for is exploits in the expansion of the Spanish Empire. But the real wealth of the documents us contained is in its accurate portrayal of history and influence upon other conquistadors9.

Restall, Matthew. 2004. The Myth of (Mis)Communication In Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. Oxford University Press. 9 Diamond, Jared M. 1997. Collision at Cajamarca In Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W.W. Norton.