JP Hayes Essays (1096 words) - Colonial Mexico, Encomenderos

JP Hayes Mr. Bevington Enhlish H 24 August 2017 Literature During the expeditions to the new world, European's wrote letters back to home to illustrate the landscape and natives that they encountered. There were many explorers who came to the new world, but Hernan Cortes and Samual De Champlain changed how Europeans viewed the new word and also how the natives lived there. In their own ways both explorers caused vast violence, tried to unwillingly spread their religion, and created a bias viewpoint on the new world for Europeans. When Cortes first wrote back to Spain after arriving in the Aztec city of Tenochittlan he described the city to be just as or even more beautiful and advanced then Spain. From walking around the city and talking to natives Cortes was able to learn that these people worship multiple idols and not just one main god. The Aztecs also practiced human sacrifices a great deal which was insane for Cortes to process. He believed the Aztecs were devil worshipers and so, he tried to persuade them into becoming catholic but it did not work. Cortes wrote letters back to the people of Spain saying the natives are devil worshipers that kill each other all the time. While Cortez spoke of the cruelty that went on with the Aztecs he decided to take over their city. Him and his men made alliances with tribes around Mexico and with their numbers and firepower Cortes successfully conquered the Aztecs. In doing so Cortes killed many men and woman which is while he originally started to turn on them. Wh en Cortes saw the Aztecs killing he spoke of them as monsters but really he killed great numbers of people making him just as guilty of being a monster. Samual De Champlain also justified violence like Cortes did in the new world. Champlain was a French explorer in the new world who was mapping geographical locations. While in the northeastern part of North America he came across a group of native Americans. They saw his weapons and men and asked Champlain for his help in a battle against an enemy tribe. Soon after the battle took place in the early morning and the enemies were no match for Champlain's men and guns. The Indian's he helped as usual took around ten prisoners and brought them back to their camp site. At the camp site the prisoners were tortured close to death and Champlain just observed and wrote about it. He sent letters back to France telling about the natives being wild and naive beast that torture one another. Champlain was in the wrong to speak of the natives like that to the Europeans because he helped kill Indians and torture methods were being on people back in Europe. Originally Cortes's expedition to Mexico that would end with him conquering the Aztecs was not suppose to happen. Velazquez who was positioned over Cortez cancelled his expedition to Mexico but Cortes did not obey orders and continued to sail over. The chances of finding new land with rich resources motivated Cortes to go through with his exploration. He reached Tenochittlan and told of the land to be beautiful, full of wildlife, and vast with resources. In all likelihood Cortes wanted it all for himself or for his country but the Aztec people were standing in his way. He needed a reason to get rid of them and it was their religion and beliefs like human sacrifice that would get them killed. While the Aztec's practices may have poked Cortez in the wrong place it could not have been enough to make him want to take them over because he was a killer himself. The real reason he conquered Tenochtitlan was for the land and resources it provided. Champlain never conquered a whole city bu t he does show greed for land like Cortes. While Champlain fought with a native American tribe he was able to see how they fight and what strategies they used. He also wrote letters back home speaking about the natives he met and he said they were very naive and easy to defeat. Champlain promised the natives he fought with that their two sides could stay friendly but