35 thoughts on “The conquest of the New Spain”
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Latin America: A Survey of History and Culture – Fall 2021
A Blogs@Baruch site
Latin America: A Survey of History and Culture – Fall 2021
A Blogs@Baruch site
Comments are closed.
The Conquest of New Spain: Akiva Tarnow-Fine
Most famous document left by the Spaniards
Same event from both sides of the story
Event on a civilization scale, the native civilization was at stake when the war began
This was the main story of the conquest until Broken Spears
Was regarded as the truth because the author took many of the cases against him (ppl said he plagiarized and was telling lies) to court and won the cases
Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain in a small town, 4 years after Columbus first came to the Americas
Diaz’s father was a publisher of romantic novels, you can see the overlay between his story and the romantic novels of his father
First came to the Americas in 1519 under Cortes
Goes back to Spain after the conquest to receive his awards for his success
In 1524, he goes back as a soldier under Cortes and goes to Guatemala in the 1530s and lived there till he died in 1584, finished his manuscript in 1568
Mostly based off memories of him and his soldiers and Cortes’ letters
Many of the soldiers in the army ended up in Guatemala
The only account from that period where Cortes does not come off as a great hero, highlighted the role of the footsoldier
His skill as a writer was a major reason the writing became as famous as it did
Comments: While reading the text there was a thought lingering in my mind: how do we know that Diaz’s remarks are any more true than any of the other writings. Through this lecture, I found my answer. It is interesting that people were so offended by his story that they brought him to court to take his writing down. It is also interesting that people were willing to help him write out his story. Based on my previous thoughts– that all conquistadors wanted to glorify their accomplishments– a document like this wouldn’t even have been written or even approved. However, it turns out that even the captain of the battalion helped with the story and so did many other soldiers.
Alvin Liu
Conquest of the New Spain Notes:
Conquest of New Spain is written by Bernal Diaz.
-The most famous account left by the Spaniards about their conquest of Latin America.
-His book became prominent because he took all of his accusers to court and won.
-Diaz’s father was a publisher of romantic and adventurous stories. Diaz might have been influenced by this.
-He was a foot soldier under Cortez’s command and witnessed the bloodshed and massacre.
Settled in modern day Guatemala and lived to his 90’s.
-Used Cortez’s letters to help write his account of the Conquest.
-Interviewed fellow soldiers for their account of the Conquest.
-Only an account from the period where it paints Cortes as an unpleasant person. Described as a cruel and selfish man.
-Diaz was afraid that people would forget their conquest of the Aztecs because the conquest of the Incas were more valuable as gold was more plentiful there.
I agree with how Diaz’s account was the most popular account of the conquest. When I was reading the pages that were assigned, I never felt bored or tired. He makes what would be a boring piece of history into something interesting. In addition, he was overly praising Cortes and making him look like a messiah which was a plus. I also agree with how the common soldiers’ account is more important than their commanders because they are the ones who experienced the conflict. Cortes probably also fought when he absolutely had to and it makes Diaz’s account so much more valuable. Furthermore, Diaz used Cortes’s letters and interviewed his fellow comrades to write his account which is something a historian would do.
Ke Han Yu – Week of 9/26/2021 (Conquest of New Spain)
– The author of the Conquest of New Spain was with Cortez. Diaz was part of Cortez’s army. The accounts that the author made can be a good insight into what Cortez did.
– Said before but should be said again: The Spanish conquest of the Americas almost if not destroyed cultures and civilizations
– Diaz, the author, was accused of lying in his book. He took it to court and won and his work is now widely accepted as the go-to account for the Spanish perspective on the American conquest
– Diaz was a very good writer. His father was a publisher. This explains why his book has huge inspiration from Medieval romance novels
– Diaz lived to his 90s. He was awarded lands for his role in the conquest of the Americas. He spent the last 40 years of his life in the Americas writing this book
– Diaz’s book was one of the only books that paid attention to the culture of Native Americans
– Despite that, his book is still written from the perspective of conquest and victory. As a result, Columbus and Cortez was viewed as heroes in this novel.
– The book was a good perspective of what the average soldier went through, not what a General went through
– One of the reasons why Diaz wrote the book is to make sure the conquest of the Aztecs won’t be forgotten. Kind of selfish.
Comments: It is very interesting to understand what I’ve just read. This helped humanize the author of the book and explains his motivations for writing a said novel. Before this, I just viewed the author as a run-of-the-mill soldier. Eventually, I was able to piece together historical events and references when I was told that Diaz was part of Cortez’s army, and his motivation (albeit selfish) in writing this book is to make sure the conquest of the Aztecs isn’t forgotten.
Joseph Guedalia
Notes:
The Conquest of the New Spain Blog
The book that Diaz wrote gained so much status, a lot of that had to do with the battles he won in the court
Diaz was such a great writer which also contributed to the popularity
The way Diaz tells history is adventurous, mysterious beautiful unknown romantic aspect
He was a soldier and Cortez was his commander
He was a witness to the massacres and bloodshed that took place
He Settled in Guatemala and lived until the age of 90
Diaz used the letters that Cortez had and wrote to help fill out his account of what took place
He Interviewed fellow soldiers to get their stories about the Conquest.
Diaz highlighted the perspective of the common soldier and someone who was actually there to witness it
The account of Diaz could be argued to be more valuable because he was directly involved
Diaz was worried that his conquest of the Aztecs would have been overshadowed by the conquest of the Incas since that conquest brought in more gold
That is another reason why he was eager to get this out
Comment:
I really enjoyed this blog post cause it gave me a much larger context about Diaz and his overall motivations. Diaz was a competitive person who wanted to get his story and his name out there. He put his life on the line for the mission of expansion into Latin America and he didn’t want to be overshadowed by a different story just because they happened to bring in more gold. He also was very sensitive to get real original sources of the story. He himself was an original source.
Bridget Campanelli
Notes:
Most famous document left by Spaniards
Opposing account to broken spears
Diaz’s account was the only thing read by historians for a long time
Was accused of plagiarism and hiding the truth, took accusers to court and won so he gained prominence in history
Good writer and storyteller, reason his writing became most famous
Diaz’s father was a publisher and he grew up reading many medieval stories which influenced his writing
After landing in America, goes back to Spain to collect rewards and honors
Comes back to “new Spain” as a part of cortez’s army
Settles in Guatemala and lives to 90 years old
Spent last 40 years of his life writing the book, finished in 1568
Used cortez’s letters and interviews from other soldiers to help write the book
Only account of Cortez seeming as a selfish and cruel person, wanted to take credit for everything
Highlighted the role that the common man had in battles
Comment:
After learning how Diaz was highly influenced by medieval stories, it made sense. It wasn’t boring to read because it felt like a story and he made it interesting. It made sense why many people thought that the Broken Spears passage was lies, because for the longest time Diaz’s was the only document they had, and it is an opposing account. I understand why this is the most famous account of the conquest, because it was more entertaining to read than others. Diaz also seems reliable because he used outside sources besides just his own memory to write this memoir. He read many of Cortez’s letters and interviewed other soldiers to get their accounts of what happened. Diaz was one of the only writers to make Cortez not seem like the most honorable and respectable man. He told the truth of his opinion of him, that he was selfish, cruel, and wanted credit for things that he didn’t do. He also showed the importance of the common man’s role in battle, instead of just praising the military leaders.
-Reading both accounts (the colonizer and the colonized) is moving because a reader can realize how somebody’s dream is another’s nightmare.
-Diaz was a great storyteller.
-He was born in 1492 in a small town in Spain (four years after Christopher Columbus arrived in America for the first time).
-His father was a publisher who specialized in Medieval Romance.
-The first time he came to America was in 1519; 28 years after the Indians saw Columbus off the coast on the mountain bridge moving on water) he was a foot soldier in Cortes’ army, part of all the bloodshed and massacre.
-He finished his manuscript in 1568; spent at least 30 years full-time working on it.
-Most of the report is based on his memories, but he also had a lot of outside sources.
These include a collection of Cortes’ letters and the accounts of his soldier friends who were in the battle along with him.
Since Bernal Diaz is a common soldier and was on the front lines of the battle, unlike his Commander Cortes, his account is most likely more valuable and more accurate than Cortes’ letters. He wasn’t blinded by his greed for fame and credit as much as his commander was. When reading the book, Diaz’s hatred for his commander becomes more evident. Diaz portrays him to be a selfish and cruel man, and often than not, Diaz disagrees with his methods. Bernal Diaz’s book is conflicting because although his point of view is of triumph and victory, he pays attention to the indigenous culture. He does not regard the Native Americans as savages and uncivilized as other Spaniards have in their writings, like Christopher Columbus. This feat alone differentiates Diaz from other Spaniards because readers receive more authentic details that do not solely focus on his heroics. Diaz did a moderately good job structuring his book to seem like an adventure instead of supplying historical data. The book became more appealing and was easier to empathize with than just being given core-packed facts. I could visualize his arrival and what it was like for Diaz, being part of The Conquest. His collection of visual arts and writing of architecture kept the Native American culture alive, which was close to extinction. Despite him playing a part in the tragedy of the Native Americans, he at least saw their culture worthy enough to be recognized. This perspective of the Native Americans was not as common for other conquerors who obliterated everything in the land they invaded before their arrival.
Anabel Fernandez
Stacy Keta
Notes:
– Bernal Diaz wrote a long account from Spaniards POV about journey with Cortes and what they did to what is now Cuba and Honduras.
– Famous document- opposite view of The Broken Spears which was the Natives POV.
– The Natives faced possible extinction when the Spaniards arrived. Their civilization was at stake.
– Somebody’s dream is someone else’s nightmare.
– This document was read from the 17th to the 20th century.
– He was accused of plagiarism and hiding the truth but won in court.
– Diaz was more of a storyteller than a historian. His book was accepted as a truth.
– He was born in 1495 Spain. There are now statues and streets named after him.
– His father was a publisher and his books were mainly about chivalry and medieval romance.
– He came to America to join Cortes’ army in 1519; was there for the massacre.
– Goes back to Spain to collect a reward which consists of money, land, honor, etc.
– 5 years later in 1524 he goes back to Cortes’ army and settles in what is now Guatemala after.
– He dedicated the last 40 years of his life to the book. Much of it was based on his memory, which was strong as he was able to write detailed accounts, and he also had other sources, such as Cortes’ letters.
– Cortes was a prolific letter writer.
– Also wrote about art and architecture.
– The writers of said accounts come off as heroes, such as Columbus, but are quite the opposite.
– Cortes seemed to be an unpleasant person; selfish and cruel.
– A lot of the writers don’t even participate in battles; Bush with the Invasion of Iraq for example.
– Diaz was more valuable than Cortes as he was more accurate and fair.
– Incas were discovered in Chile; Fall of the Incas was an impressive aspect.
– Diaz didn’t want their role in Mexico City to be forgotten so he wrote a long account. It is widely read because of his skill as a writer as he paints a clear picture.
Comments:
I concur with the idea that Diaz’ account was the most popular and widely read concerning the conquest. Compared to many long history accounts, this one was stimulating and fascinating to read. Upon hearing in the lecture that his dad was a medieval romance writer, I can definitely see the reflection of that in his own writing. It made sense to me because of how interesting of a read it was, it was not dull or tedious. I believe that he was a reputable and fair source of information as he utilized different resources when writing his book. Diaz was definitely a respectable man as he kept it real and honest, concerning Cortes for instance. Instead of patronizing him, he told the truth about the person he was. I also thought it was admirable that he wrote about Native art and architecture to keep the culture alive.
The Conquest of the New Spain
-Diaz repeated a lot which is what made his story of his journey so long.
-Here it really felt like they lost the battle.
-The natives may have been afraid of extinction .
-People read this because there weren’t many accounts from the indigenous people.
-This book was accepted as history/truth.
-This book became popular because of all the battles in court that he won. He was accused for plagiarism.
-He was both a historian and a storyteller.
-Bernal Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain in a small town. -He is pretty popular with the locals in his birth place.
-4 years after Christopher Columbus first arrived in America.
-Father is a publisher and specialized in medieval romances and Diaz grew up reading these books.
-Diaz tells his story like an adventure story.
-He borrows the structure of a medieval romance as he writes his story.
-He comes to America in 1519 as a soldier.
-Goes back to Spain to collect his rewards/ money and awards.
-1524 goes to New Spain and settles down in 1530.
-For 40 years he wrote his book, most was based on his memory of his battles. Used Cortes’s letter also as a source for his writing.
-Rare book because it actually talks about he indigenous people’s culture.
-Talks about Cortes as a selfish man.
-Most commanders didn’t even participate in the war.
I’m a little surprised that his has a background as a story teller. I don’t think of most people that go to war as writers especially with a father that worked on romance orines. I guess it may be a title understandable because it was medieval romance and maybe he wanted to be like he knight in shining armor like in the stories. I also didn’t think that people that went to discover lands would fight in wars, I thought their sole job was to go searching for land and to conquer it. His book was written really well, its surprising that people thought it was plagiarized when it was a story of his life.
Hymie Israel
Notes:
Long account of Diaz’s journey with Cortes and what they did in Cuba and Honduras
Opposite sides of the same story with Broken Spears
Diaz’s father was a publisher so it makes sense that he is a good storyteller
Diaz tells history like an adventure story
Diaz was born in 1495 and traveled to America in 1519 and in 1530’s, he settles in Guatemala
He worked on his manuscript for about 30 years in 1568 as he didn’t have much to do for about 30 years
Any account of a battle worth reading is the ones created by the actual soldiers on the battlefield
The Incas were discovered around the 1540’s in what’s now Chile
The Incas had a lot of jewelry made of silver and gold
Comments:
I find interesting that Diaz was able to remember vivid details about the indigenous people’s culture and their paintings and actually have included it in his book. I respect Diaz for actually painting Cortes not like the hero that everyone thinks he and Christopher Columbus and more of the cruel and unpleasant person. I also respect him because unlike Cortes and Bush, he was actually in the front lines of the battles. Another reason I respect Diaz is because he wrote this long detailed account of the conquest so that it wouldn’t be forgotten because of the story about the Incas and he didn’t want the soldier’s “sacrifice” to be in vein.
Nur Rahman
Notes:
-Diaz wrote a long account of his journey with Cortes as he was part of the Spaniards
-The most famous account left by the Spaniards about their conquest
-Diaz book came out in the 17th Century and people were reading this book since the broken spears did not publish
-Diaz book was accused of hiding the truth, plagiarism, etc. but he took all those cases to war and won them causing him to gain prominence
-Diaz was a good storyteller and became the ultimate account bc he was more than a historian
-Diaz was born in 1495, 4 years after Columbus arrived in America.
-Father was a publisher, specializing in medieval romance. -Diaz grew up reading his book and described his experience the same way medieval romance is described. Woman is America
-Diaz came to America in 1519 as a soldier in Cortez army and goes to the Mexico city
-Went again in 1524 then went to Guatemala to write his book
-He had many resources like Cortez letters and account of others since his soldier friends ended up in Guatemala
Diaz motive to write the book because he was worried that his “sacrifices” would be forgotten from history since the Incas were richer w gold and would get more attention
Comment:
I enjoyed reading Diaz’s account and now it makes so much sense as to why. Most accounts are very boring to read but reading Diaz’s account made me want to read more. Learning about the background of his father being a medieval romance publisher and writer makes sense as to why Diaz sounds like an adventurous story. This may be one of the reasons that people assumed accounts to be hiding the truth and being plagiarized. It is also very interesting how the point of view of Cortez is different compared to the Spanish soldiers and the indigenous people in Portilla’s book. Also, the reasoning on the motivations for both writers writing the book is also very different.
Omar Malik
Notes:
-Diaz won battles in the court that had him accused of plagiarism
-Diaz’s legal victories significantly helped when it came to his reputation both as a writer as well as an individual
-This document is extremely famous in regards to the Spaniards
-Diaz was a soldier under Cortez’s command and witnessed extremely brutal violence
-Diaz was definitely someone with many experiences on what he has written about, including the aftermath, due to having lived for around 90 years
-Diaz lived the last years of his life in modern day Guatemala
-Diaz became a popular figure with streets named after him
-Diaz returned to Spain for rewards
-Cortes was an extremely selfish and harsh individual whose main goal in life was to gain power in immoral ways (he was a Spanish conquistador, after all, who was the reason for the fall of the Aztec Empire)
Comments:
The phrase, “Somebody’s dream is somebody else’s nightmare”, really struck me. I like the phrase a lot because it shows how every person has their own way of thinking. For example, Cortes’s dream was conquering the Aztecs to gain power while, according to the Aztecs’ perspective, it was a nightmare. Perspective is crucial when it comes to any scenario. Additionally, my respect for Diaz is extremely high, because he witnessed terrible events, but wrote about them and dedicated decades to his book to make it as informational as possible.
The quote “somebody’s dream is somebody else’s nightmare” also stuck with me. This is because Cortez achieved what he wanted but at the expense of others.
By Alan Tupac
Notes:
-Bernal Diaz wrote one of the most important and best accounts of Spanish colonization in the Americas from a Spaniard perspective.
-Bernal wrote the book “the conquest” detailing his journey with Cortes spanning from the fall of Mexico City to their adventures in Cuba and Honduras.
-The Book Diaz wrote detailed the side of the victor.
-When the Spaniards arrived the natives faced the reality of their whole ethnicity and culture going extinct.
-Before the book “broken spears” was written from the account of the natives, people would read Diaz’s book to be informed about the history of Latin America.
-Bernal Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain and his father was a publisher of romance adventure novels and Diaz grew up reading his father’s book.
-Diaz used his father’s style of writing in his work and romanticized the Spanish colonization of the Americas by stating how many obstacles the Spaniards needed to overcome to take control of the land.
-The first time Diaz came to the Americas was 1519 which was almost 30 years since Columbus discovered the continent for the first time.
-Diaz came to America as a foot soldier in Cortez’s army and travels to the Gulf of Mexico, conquers Mexico City, and travels back to Spain to collect his rewards for his achievements in the colonization of the Americas
-Soldiers who conquered lands in the Americas were rewarded with medals, land, money, and were praised by the Spanish people for increasing the power of the Spanish throne.
-In 1524 Diaz returns to New Spain as a soldier in Cortez’s army to resolve another conflict and then return to Spain once again.
-In the 1530s Diaz then settles in modern-day Guatemala, where he lives the rest of his days until he eventually dies in 1584.
-The last 40 years of Diaz’s life were spent writing his book and all the things he witnessed and participated in during his time as a Conqueror.
-Cortez wrote many letters to the King of Spain detailing all the things he accomplished and did during his time in New Spain.
-Diaz was able to retrieve these letters and used them as one of his sources for his book.
-Many of Diaz’s fellow soldiers during the fall of Mexico City ended up living in Guatemala and he interview his previous teammates about their memories and experiences during that time.
-Diaz spent hours talking about the past and gather information about all the events that occurred during the Colonization period.
-As you read Diaz’s book he discusses indigenous culture and thanks to his writing we know somewhat about the natives.
-Diaz reveals that Cortez is not a very nice man and that he despises his commander and highlighted the role the foot soldiers played in the invasion of Mexico City.
-Diaz’s motivation to write his book was because he believed that the battle of Mexico City was the most important event that occurred during the conquest, but this was later changed.
-People felt that the most impressive achievement from the conquest was the fall of the Incas but Diaz disagreed with that because he wasn’t part of the battle which is why we wrote the book to help keep the battle of Mexico relevant in the public eye and to show the importance conquering Mexico was to the Spanish.
-Diaz felt that it was important for people to realize how impactful the conquering of the Aztecs was because he feared that everyone would only discuss the victory over the Incas and forgot about all the things he accomplished during his service.
Comments:
After watching the video I was surprised to hear that one of the main reasons Diaz decided to write a book detailing the fall of the Aztecs was because he was afraid the victory over the Incas would overshadow all his accomplishments. Diaz was jealous over the fact that the Battle with the Incas was receiving more attention and praise than the battle he participated in with the Aztecs which pushed him to spend the last 40 years of his life trying to prove why the conquest of the Aztecs was just as important, if not more important than the conquest of the Inca empire was for Spain. Overall I’m impressed that Diaz managed to bring relevance back to conquering of the Aztecs because usually when something even bigger is achieved, the lesser achievement is pushed to the side and eventually forgotten as time flies by.
Amanda Ng
Notes:
-most famous document left by the Spaniards
-in contrast to the Broken Spears
-people were only reading the account by Bernal Diaz and was accepted as the truth for many years
-Diaz was a good storyteller and his father was a publisher
-he was a soldier under commander Cortez
-he lived until his 90’s in Guatemala
-he dedicated the last 40 years of his life writing this book
-Diaz also used the letters that Cortez wrote back to Spain and the personal accounts of other members of Cortez’s army
-written from the POV of triumph
-Cortez and Columbus usually come off as heroes
-Cortez is very selfish in this account
-Diaz was worried that their sacrifices would have been forgotten and all the attention would have gone to the Incas which is one of the main reasons he wrote this book
Comment:
I liked the saying how someone’s dream could be another person’s nightmare as we saw in the Broken Spears. It really shows how both sides are affected and to read the accounts side by side really makes you think about the effects of war. I thought it was unfair that Diaz’s account was the most popular and was the most accepted account for a while because people just went with it without knowing the Aztecs’ side of the story. When hearing that his father was a publisher, it was no doubt that the long reading was written by him because it was an interesting passage. I can see that he enjoys his storytelling. I also liked how he didn’t paint his commander as a hero as most other soldiers would. Although he experienced this first hand and wrote this account, how sure could we fully trust this account since all of it was based on memory? He spent 30-40 years writing this, so the memory could have been foggy over time. Regardless, it was very detailed and was interesting to read from the victor’s side.
Julie Guo
Notes
– The Conquest of the New Spain: very famous book by Bernal Diaz
– Most important and the best account written by the Spaniards
– When the Spaniards arrived, Native Americans faced the possibility of extinction
– Indigenous accounts did not exist or were not available until 1960
– Everyone just read the book by Bernal Diaz and it was accepted as the truth
– Diaz came to America in 1519 as a solider in Cortez’s army
– Travels back to Span after they conquer Mexico City to collect his rewards
– Soldiers were given money, land, and medallions
– 1524: he goes back to New Spain as a soldier in Cortez’s army for another conflict
– He settles in today’s Guatemala
– Last 40 years of his life dedicated to this book
– Diaz had other sources that helped him write the book, for example, Cortez’s letters
– He interviewed people in Cortez’s army for his book
– Book was written from the point of view of triumph and victory but at the same time this is one of the rare books that pay attention to the Indigenous culture
– A lot of what’s lost now we know about because he wrote things down in his book
– Other accounts, people such as Columbus and Cortez come off as heroes and incredible commanders but this is the only account in which Cortez comes off as an unpleasant person and he is cruel and selfish
Comment:
I really liked how Bernal Diaz was truthful in his book about Cortez’s true colors. I think many people would want to paint their commander in a positive light especially in a book of triumph and victory and since there are other accounts where Cortez is seen as this honorable hero. By doing this, he could’ve received backlash from people who wanted to believe how brave and heroic Cortez was in the conquest. In addition, I think it was really nice of Diaz to incorporate Indigenous culture into his story. It is crazy to think that if it wasn’t for this book that some parts of the culture would have been lost. I was shocked to hear that he spent almost 40 years writing this story. It really shows how much dedication he had towards this book.
I would agree and say I also really liked how Diaz was one of very little people who didn’t write about Cortez in a positive light. Many leaders are generally portrayed as triumphant and heroic no matter whether they actually were such good people in person or not. Many people may also be scared to speak out due to backlash or not having the proper outlet for their thoughts to gain attention.
– Norbert Kopec
-Diaz’ book became the most famous document left by Spaniards
-Borrows structure of medieval romance
-Father was a publisher
-First came to Americas in 1519 as a soldier
-Lived almost 90yrs
– spent last 30 years of his life writing this
– uses a collection of Cortes’ letters and his soldiers accounts
It makes sense that his father was a publisher especially of adventurous books as Diaz’ writing was probably inspired by it. The way he wrote told the conquest was very much so like a story. It kept me entertained and wanting to continue reading. It didn’t feel like I was being told what happened, more like I was being taken through what happened; I was able to picture what was going on.
9/27/21
Notes on The Conquest of the New Spain
Randy Huynh
-The accounts of this book were from a conquistador in the 16th century named Bernal Diaz. Bernal diaz was born in Spain in 1495. His father was a novelist. He was a career conquistador and saw action in Yucatan, cape cotoche and lastly the Aztec Empire. He settles in Guatemala post career.
-The book was popularized because it was seen as one of the most famous documents left behind by the Spaniards in the era of conquest.
-There was a period where the author was accused of plagiarizing and fabrication, he responded by taking these accusations to court, and eventually won. This lead to the increased promulgation of the book and its now renowned status as one of the most popular documents concerning the conquest.
-For the majority of the book, Diaz was a conquistador foot soldier serving under the command of Hernan Cortes
-Diaz’s accounts gave light into the situation at the time, and Cortes’ letters were used to fill in the blanks of the story.
-Diaz’s reverence for the cultures of the natives is displayed throughout the book
-His book provided another context to view Cortes under, however the book was still written in order to preserve the memory of the conquest and the fall of the Aztecs.
-Diaz spent the last 40 years of his life writing the book.
This blog made me learn about the circumstances which lead to the popularization of the book Conquest of the New Spain and it was helpful in determining the validity and effectiveness of the document as a source to learn about the conquest. Something that I would like to bring our attention to was the irony of the book itself. Although conquest is displayed as a campaign to wipe out all evidence of a previous culture, here we have a written account that tries somewhat to preserve certain aspects of the culture. This itself gives the book historical value. However it becomes necessary to question the true intentions of the author, and as discussed in the blog and in other classmates’ responses, the book was so that history would not forget the actions of the conquistadors. (Implied heroism). However, many historians can find the value of Diaz’s descriptions of gold and Aztec treasures because it’s preservation of culture and history. It provides the basis for how we today understand the Aztecs.It is because of Diaz we see the Aztecs not as docile slaves, but warriors, priests and cultured people. That is all.
-The Conquest of New Spain written by Bernal Diaz is an important account written by Spaniards.
-The conquest of New Spain and the broken spears talk about the same events but in different perspectives.
-Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain and he is very popular in Spain.
-Diaz’s father was a publisher for romantic novels and Diaz writes a story in a similar way to the medieval romance novels.
-In 1519, Diaz came to America as a soldier in Cortes’ army.
-After the Conquest he went back to Spain to get his rewards which were land and money.
-In 1524, went back to New Spain again under Cortes’ Army.
-In 1530, he went to Guatemala and he lived there till the day he died(1584).
-He spent 40 years of his life and he talked about what he participated in or what he had seen in the book.
-Diaz recalled his memories of his past, soldiers helped him and he had a collection of Cortes letters for sources.
-His book was one of the rarest books that paid attention to indigenous people’s culture.
-Even though the book was written from an account of victory and it was the only account Cortes comes off like a selfish human being.
-In this account he highlights roles soldiers played at the battles.
-He wanted to write the book about the conquest because it was an unforgettable moment for the Spaniards.
-His book is well known because he is a good writer that was able to give good details that occurred at that time.
Comments:
This blog is interesting in the perspective that it gives the whole background of Diaz and why he chose to write this account. Since this account was written by a soldier who was always at the front lines of the battle, it only helped paint a picture of what they experienced. Which only made the reading more intriguing because usually accounts in the past always painted the people or leaders as enlighteners or making themselves look like a hero. The interesting part is that he was making sure to get all the information he could get before he chose to write. He had gotten many resources in order to make sure that the information he wrote was accurate and through that use many historians were able to understand what had actually occurred. So when the Broken Spears was discovered it was hard for many people to accept it as a reliable source because they had this written account. Especially since the account was not only written about the Spaniards but had written detailed information about the Native American culture and wasn’t judging them.
-Parneet Kaur
Parneet,
I agree with you and appreciate the amount of researching he put into creating the book. Not only does recording other soldiers’ accounts takes a long time but it also makes this account more liable. People couldn’t accept it since it went against Cortez powerful and heroic image and his accounts on Native Americans did not paint them as the “bad guys”.
-jennifer
JENNIFER LEE
notes:
-When Spaniards arrived, Native Americans were facing extinction.
-“Another person’s dreams can be another person’s nightmare”
-This book status: true
-AUTHOR background: Diaz was a story teller; born in 1495 in Spain. 1495 4 years after Columbus arrived in America for first time. His father is a publisher. Way he told his story was like an adventure. Romance symbolism- America (women being felled in love by protagonist)
-After conquer he returns to Spain to collect reward like money, land, badges. 5 years later he goes to another conquest/conflict. Lived rest of life in Guatemala.
-1568 finished manuscript.
-Diaz manage to get hold of letters (he wrote back to Spain) and personal accounts of other fighters that stayed with him in Guatemala that are used as sources.
-Written to POV of victory but also pays attention to indigenous cultures- paintings, architecture
-Diaz opinion of commander Cortez – selfish, cruel, and someone who takes credit in everything and doesn’t take part in most of the conquest
-His motivation in writing: was retired and old with nothing to do, believe takeover of Mexico City was most important
Comments:
With the background information, the flow of the book made sense because as I was reading, I felt a sense of being on an adventure. It is also a refreshing feeling to hear someone who does not like the commander Cortez because he was always very highly spoken due to his credits but with him and his other soldiers accounts, it proves the truth of what Cortez did. The quote “another person’s dreams can be another person’s nightmare” hit hard and made me more self-aware of what I have and don’t have; it made me be more appreciative and grateful for my current life.
Julia Pedersen
Notes on Video: The Conquest of the New Spain
The most important and best account of the Spaniards establishing settlements in the Americas.
Diaz repeated a lot, so this book is often edited down.
He wrote about the fall of Mexico City and what is now Cuba and Honduras
This was an event on a civilizational scale. The Native American culture has been built over centuries.
When the Spaniards arrived, the Native Americans faced the possibility of extinction.
What was one group’s dream, was the other group’s nightmare.
From the 17th century to the mid 20th century, this was the book everyone read. It was accepted as true history.
Diaz was a good writer and storyteller. This was the main reason his book become the document that everyone read. This could be because of his biography.
Diaz was born in 1495 In Spain in a small town. He is popular among the people in his town.
His father was a publisher in medieval romance. Diaz grew up reading a lot of them. The way he tells history is like an adventure story.
Army of courageous men
He borrows the structure of a medieval romance
He came to the Americas in 1519 as a good soldier in Cortez’s army.
After this, he travels back to Spain to collect his rewards. They were given lands and money and badges.
He goes back to New Spain in 1524
He settles in what is today Guatemala and lives about 90 years.
For the last 40 years of his life, he dedicated it to this book. He wrote about what he witnessed.
He finishes his manuscript in 1598. He was a landowner and had nothing else to do. It was based on his memory of the battles, but he also had other sources that were valuable to him. One of them was Cortez’s letters since he was a good letter writer.
He also had accounts of other soldiers.
The story is complicated since it is written from the point of view of Triumph. It does pay attention to indigenous culture.
He wrote about visual arts and architecture.
An interesting aspect of this book is if you read other accounts of the conquest, they come off as heroes.
In other accounts, Cortez can come off as an unpleasant person (selfish, cruel, wants credit for everything).
The common soldiers did most of the work and looked at it from more of a distance, so their accounts good be a little fairer.
The main reason this account is so popular is his skill and ability as a writer, as well as how he creates suspense.
My own thoughts:
I like how it was pointed out how this account is popular due to his skills as a writer. It was interesting to read, opposed to reading it out of a history textbook. I think the point of view of the soldiers is especially important since they did most of the work. They were not the ones making the tough calls, but they were expected to carry them out. They saw more first hand the destruction they were executing. I think it is important to look at all sides of history, including the letters where the Europeans wrote themselves as heroes. This allows us to paint a better picture of what actually happened, while also knowing the mindsets of those involved.
The Conquest of the New Spain
– Probably the most important and best-known account written by the Spaniards
– People read this account from the 17th century to mid 19th century as the account from the indigenous people was not yet found
– Diaz was a very good writer which may be one of the reasons his book was the one that gained prominence and attention. Alongside being a writer, he was also a storyteller.
– Diaz was born in 1495 (four years after Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas)
– Diaz’s father was a publisher, which when reading his account, you can see it is written in a way similar to an adventure story
– First time Diaz came to the Americas was in 1519
– One of Cortez’s duties was to report back to the King by letter. Diaz was able to obtain these letters and use them as a source
– Diaz also gathered information from others who took part in these events to help him write rather than from only his memory
– This is one of the only accounts where Cortez comes off as an unpleasant person rather a triumphant hero
– Diaz highlighted the role of the common foot soldier in his work
Comment:
I was interested to learn that one of Diaz’s motivations in writing this piece of literature was so that their “sacrifices” do not go forgotten when other information rises to the top. I would say something that I see as a positive factor in Diaz’s writing is that he does not praise Cortez as being a triumphant hero. Not only do I tend to see leaders as gaining to much praise for what they’ve done, the common soldiers tend to be those who execute the dangerous, courageous, and selfless actions when it comes to conflicts. Having background on Diaz’s father, I can definitely see how Diaz’s father may have potentially influenced the writing of Diaz, whose work comes off as an adventure that keeps the readers attention.
Jhonathan Mizhquiri
notes :
-Indigenous account was not available until 1959
-People read the account from Diaz since the 17th century
-Was accepted as the truth
-Diaz was a good storyteller, main reason that his document became widely studied
-Born in 1495 in Spain in a small town.
-4 years after Columbus arrived to the Americas.
-Diaz’s father was a publisher and Diaz read his stories.
– Borrows structure of medieval romance
– came to the America’s in 1519, 28 years after Columbus.
– Member of the army, travels back to Spain after the conquest to collect his reward.
– Many were given land, money, and awards
– goes back to new Spain as a solder it Cortez’s army in 1530
-settles in Guatemala and lives there for the rest of his life
– Lived to be 90 years old, impressive for the time period
– Died in the year 1583
-dedicated the last 40 years of his life to writing the book
-told the story of what they went through and what they witnessed.
-Cortez wrote many letters of what he did in new Spain and sent it back home to the king
– Diaz got ahold of the letters and used them as his sources.
-Many of the soldiers in the army ended up in present day Guatemala
– Diaz had the opportunity to interview the soldiers that participated in the same events as him
-compared stories, notes and personal accounts
– Diaz wrote details and payed attention to the indigenous culture and way of life
– only account from the conquest that gives glimpses of the negative side of the leader
– Diaz highlighted the role of a foot soldier
– Diaz did not want to be forgotten or over shined by the Incas which motivated him to create the story
Notes :
It is very intriguing to read about both point of views, those of the indigenous people and those of the Spaniards. Like you said “one mans nightmare is one mans dream”. For the indigenous people, the conquest was a rough time period in which they were killed and their way of life was altered forever. Their cultures were shifted and many of their civilizations were destroyed. Clearly, the indigenous people suffered many defeats and were stripped from their land. However from the Spaniards perspective, they believed they were doing the right thing because they viewed the indigenous people as savages. Their accounts were written with triumph and pride. As can be seen, both groups were present, but their viewpoints are extremely different.
*Comment (for the paragraph)
Ricky Chen
-Bernal Diaz’s Conquest of New Spain is the most well-known account of the Spaniards conquest of the Americas with his journey with Cortes
-Diaz’s story represents the idea of one group’s dream is another groups nightmare
-Diaz’s story was accepted as the true history when it first came out as he won all his cases in court after being accused of plagiarism
-Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain, born to a father who was a publisher in chivalry romance which influences Diaz’s storytelling
-Diaz borrows the structure from medieval romance when telling his story
-Diaz first trip to America was in 1519 as a food soldier and reaches all the way to Mexico City
-Diaz in 1524 goes back to New Spain and comes back in the 1530s to settle in what today is Guatemala and lives there for the rest of his life until he was 90
-Diaz would dedicate the last 40 years of his life to writing the book, describing everything about the conquering of the Americas
-Cortez was someone who wrote a lot of letters which Diaz got a hold of, using them as sources
-Many past soldiers that were on the same expedition also settled in Guatemala which Diaz was able to interview
-Diaz’s book is written in the eyes of the triumph that also pays attention to many of the indigenous people’s cultures
-This was the first-ever account that displayed Cortez as an unpleasant person rather than a hero
-Diaz displayed what the common soldier did as they were the ones actually participating in the war and battle
-Diaz disagreed that the conquering of the Incas played the most important role and was afraid of their taking over Mexico City being lost and forgotten
Comments
I find Diaz to be respectable after hearing about his story. He grew up with a father who was a publisher specializing in medieval romance which plays a large influence in his stories. Diaz used aspects of medieval writing in his stories to make them more interesting and suspenseful which played a large role in the success of his stories. He also wrote his stories with truth in terms of how Cortez truly was as a person. He was not the soldier that participate in battles and simply stood from afar watching despite taking all the credit. Also, when writing the story Diaz did not want to rely simply on his own memories so he went out to seek memories and stories from the other soldiers that had participated in the battles with him. Not only did he incorporate his stories with outside sources, but he also included actual evidence of indigenous culture such as their art and architecture.
Nigya Thapa
Professor Amir Ahmadi
LTS 1003 AM
27 September 2021
Blog #3
NOTES (The Conquest of the New Spain):
– The Conquest of New Spain was written by Bernal Diaz…. It is one of the most important and the best-known account was written by the Spaniards
– The Native American population was at stake when the Spanish had arrived
– Somebody’s dream is someone else nightmare
– The Indigenous account didn’t exist until 1915 or 1916
– People were reading the account by Diaz for a very long time… It was accepted as the truth… One of the reasons the book gained such a high status was because he took accusations of plagiarism and lying to the court… the court decided he was innocent of these accusations and people began to respect and acknowledge the idea that all of his findings were the honest truth
– Diaz was a good writer/storyteller… his book may have become “the document” because he told a story not just the facts
– Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain… in a small town… very popular person from his hometown… he had streets named after him
– Christopher Columbus returned in 1491
– An interesting fact about Diaz is that his father was a publisher…. He specialized in medieval romances… such as – The Knight… Diaz grew up reading a lot of these books
– He borrowed the structure of Medieval Romance into his account
– He came to America for the first time in 1519 as a foot soldier in Cortez’s Army
– He goes all the way to the fall of Mexico City
– He goes back to Mexico City to collect his rewards… given lands and money and honorary badges/medals
– He then returns to Mexico City with the Spanish Army…. He returns to Spain in the 1530s and lives out his days in Guatemala
– He lived for 90 years… it’s very astonishing in this time period…. 1530s-1584=time period of his life…. Dedicated his life to this book
– He finished the manuscript 1568… it took him 30 years to finish…. It is based on his memories, he had other sources that helped him as well…. The collection of Cortez’s letters
– Cortez wrote a lot of letters…. His job was to report back to the king about the campaign… Diaz had gotten a hold of all these letters
– Many of the soldiers ended up in Guatemala… he interviewed his friends as well… not entirely off of his memories but of others as well
– He wrote a lot of things down in his book… this book is very important because all these explorers and commanders come off as heroes in other books but in Diaz’s account, Cortez comes off as an unpleasant person (this is the only account where he is not a hero)
– Cortez is portrayed as a selfish, cruel man. He takes credit for everything including things he had no part in… very similar to Columbus… he highlighted the role of the common soldier in these battles
Comments:
I found it very interesting to learn that Diaz was brought up in an environment that consisted of writing because when I read his account for homework, you could see that his wordplay was very unique compared to other writers. He didn’t only describe the actions that occurred, he also gave them meaning as well. It also surprised me to learn that he got a hold of his commanders’ letters because when you really think about it, at that time period, that would be considered a treacherous act to commit. That could’ve cost him his life as well. The more I read, the more I learn of the significance of his work.
Chris Sullivan
Notes:
-Bernal Diaz wrote his own account about what happened on the expedition with Cortes
-this was in essence a rebuttal to the Broken Spears documents
-the battle between the Spaniards and Natives nearly resulted in the complete annihilation of the Natives culture and civilization
-it was claimed that he falsified the documents, but he went to court and won
-Diaz was born in Spain in 1495, and he now has statues and streets in his home country named after him
-he joined the army of Cortes in 1519 and was present for their massacre of the Natives
-in 1524, he returns to Cortes’ army and they arrive in modern day Guatamela
-the majority of the end of his life was based around this book
-someone like Christopher Columbus was portrayed as a hero, but in today’s society we know that is not true
-Cortes portrayed as a cruel man
-the discovered the group of Natives we know as the Incas
-he was regarded as quite the well spoken writer, and his story created a clear picture of what went on in New Spain
I was interested by this post because it provided details on Diaz that we previously didn’t have while reading his articles last week. Diaz was a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and one thing he wanted the most was fame and glory. He committed all his time and effort into making sure Latin America was his and developed a series of primary sources to make sure we knew the truth. Because of him, we know the true story of what happened in the conquest.
Alice Gonzalez
Notes:
-The book was about Diaz’s journey with Cortes about the fall of Mexico city
-A famous document left by the Spaniards
-Opposite perspective from the Broken Spears
-The indigenous account was unavailable till the 1960s
-The only available account till then was the Spaniard perspective
-Became the main document of the time for the telling of the battles
-Diaz’s account was considered the true history
-Diaz was accused of hiding the truth but won his case in court
-Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain -four years after Christopher Columbus arrived in America
-Diaz’s father was a publisher of stories that influenced his writing as an adventure/romance story
-Romancing the land and fighting for it
-Came to America in 1519: 20 years after Columbus
-Was a foot soldier in Cortez’s army: made it to the fall of Mexico
-After the conquer goes back to Spain for his reward
Given land, money, badges
-1524 goes back to Spain as a soldier for another conflict
-In the 1530s he settled in today’s Guatemala: the last 40 years of his life were dedicated to his book
-Wrote on what he witnessed during the conquest of America: based on his memory and other sources
-Other sources: the collection of Cortez’s letters to the king of his reports and interviews
Thoughts:
My main concern of Diaz’s work is the plausible misinformation he wrote to portray the Spaniards in a better light. Due to the fact that all other written accords from the Natives till the 1960s were unavailable at the time. As well, the influence of romance literature throughout his youth may have portrayed the battles in favor of the Spaniards. I wonder if there were any battles that took place that major weakened the Spainards that Diaz had decided to cut from his book.
Tercia Dobrzynski
The Conquest of the New Spain Notes
– Diaz was accused of plagiarism and he won in court, which allowed him to gain such prominence in history
– What makes his book so intriguing is his ability to storytelling
– Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain, 4 years after Christopher Columbus came to America
– He came to America for the first time in 1519 as a foot soldier in Cortez’s army
– He dedicated 40 years to writing this book
– He finished the manuscript in 1568
– He had other sources to write this report; Cortez’s letters and the personal accounts of other soldiers
– His writings paid a lot of attention to the indigenous culture
– His skill and ability as a writer was what made his accounts so popular
Comments:
Learning that Diaz’s father was a publisher, specifically for medieval chivalrous pieces, makes a lot of sense when reading Diaz’s accounts. It is clear in his point of view. It’s very interesting to note how he portrays Cortez, I’m glad he does not make him look as a hero. Another thing I enjoyed about the history of the account is that it was not just his own memories that he wrote down.I like that he used Cortez’s letters as well as other soldier’s accounts. It adds to the accuracy of the writing. Seeing the juxtaposition of this account compared to the last writing from the indigenous account speaks volumes. It really brings out the polar opposites of how each side viewed the history taking place.
Noshin Ahmed
Notes:
-The Conquest of New Spain is a very famous book written by Bernal Diaz.
-Most important and famous account left by Spaniards.
-Wrote this account based on his journey with Cortes.
-The arrival of the Spaniards put the Native American civilizations, which have been built and developed over centuries, at the possibility of extinction.
-This account was the account most read till Broken Spears came out.
-It was regarded as the truth for a long time.
– Diaz was accused of plagiarism and hiding the truth. He had to battle in court, and he won the cases.
-Diaz was a good storyteller and writer, and his writing may be a big reason why his document was considered the ultimate account.
-Diaz was born in 1495, in a small town in Spain.
-His father was also a writer who specialized in medieval romances.
-His storytelling and writing style are very similar to the writing of a medieval romance.
-First time he came to the Americas was in 1519, as a soldier in Cortez’s army. He was a part of the fall of New Mexico.
-After they conquered Mexico City, he heads back to Spain. Then 5 years later he goes back to New Spain as a soldier in Cortez’s army.
-He returned from that in 1530 and then spends the rest of his life in Guatemala.
-Spend the last 40 years of his life writing this account.
– A lot of this account is based on his memory, but he also had other sources of information.
-One of these sources being Cotez’s letters that he wrote back to Spain.
-Another source was the interviews he took from the other soldiers.
-He paid attention to the indigenous culture in his writing.
-Cortez was not portrayed as a hero in this account, instead, he was presented as an unpleasant and selfish person.
-Diaz highlighted the role that the soldiers played in the battles.
-He believed the taking over Mexico City was the most important battle.
– A most impressive achievement of the conquest was the fall of the Incas.
-Since he had no part in that battle, he was worried that his sacrifices for the fall of New Mexico would be forgotten.
-His writing made the account interesting to read.
Comments:
I found it very interesting how reading a lot of medieval romance books that were published by his father influenced his writing. Diaz used the style and structure that would be commonly found in medieval romance books in his account. I also found it very intriguing how his writing style could have been a big reason why his work was so famous and was kept alive throughout the years. I find it very interesting how trying to be remembered was his biggest motivation for writing this account.
Sanduni Samarasinghe
Notes:
– Most popular document left by Spaniards
– His writing was influenced by his fathers medieval romance writing, which you can also see in Diaz’s writing
– 1519 was the first time he came to America as a foot soldier in Cortez’s army
– He goes back to Spain after Mexico City to collect the rewards
– 1530 he comes back and settles down in Guatemala where he lived the rest of his life
– Last 40 years of his life he dedicated his life to this book
– He had a collection of Cortez’s letters which became very useful when writing his book
– He also had an opportunity to interview other people who were with him at the time
– In this book Cortez was seen as an unpleasant person and shows his cruel and selfish side
Comments:
It was really interesting to learn how his fathers writing influenced his own writing. Even though Diaz wasn’t writing a story but more so a non-fiction book about what him and the other soldiers went through, you were definitely able to see the resemblance of medieval romance in his writing. I also found it really interesting that he portrayed Cortez out to be a cruel and selfish person. I would have thought the opposite because of which side Diaz was fought on. I finally admire the time and dedication Diaz took to write this book. It really showed he cared about what he was writing and putting out in the world.
Alejandro Romero
Notes:
– The Conquest of the New Spain was the most famous book regarding the Spanish Conquest and was written by Bernal Diaz.
– The book covered the many battles lead by Cortez in Mexico and Mexico City and offered a first hand account from a soldier.
– The writing was never challenged and accepted as fact up until the 1960’s when Broken Spears offered an indigenous perspective on the Conquest.
– After winning a court case that accused him of altering the truth Diaz’s book exploded in popularity and his writing style caught the attention of many at the time.
– Diaz was born in Spain in 1495 as the son of a well known publisher who specialized in the writing of Medieval romances that would later influence Diaz’s structure in his book.
– He first arrived in the Americas in 1519 as a soldier in Cortez’s army and would help in conquering Mexico City, these experiences would be the focal point of his book.
– He eventually devoted the last 40 years of his life to writing out his book in Guatemala and including many accounts from other soldiers who also had a tendency to move to Guatemala.
– This writing was one of the few that actually made Cortez out to look like a selfish narcissist who was always looking to take credit for anything even if he wasn’t involved.
– Diaz saw the fall of Mexico City as the most important battle and didn’t want all the sacrifices made there to be in vein so he wrote down all these accounts into a book especially after the impressive takeover of the Incas.
Comments:
It is very interesting to see how the perspective and who is writing a narrative can have a completely different effect on the message that is being portrayed. It seems as though the Spanish are brave valiant soldiers in Diaz’s writing who are on a mission to spread good. While this couldn’t be more different from what is portrayed in Broken Spears as they come to the Americas and bring with them destruction and suffering for the indigenous. It is also interesting to see how Cortez wasn’t very likeable not only to the indigenous but to his own soldiers as well.
– Bernal Diaz was born in 1495 in Spain
– took accounts from the Spanish perspective on colonialism; specifically his journey w/ Cortes
– “The Conquest” is a book, written by Diaz, explaining what he saw from the fall of Mexico City to their adventures in Cuba and Honduras
– b/c Diaz had bias towards the Spanish, his accounts praised Spanish colonialism
– came to the Americas as a foot soldier in Cortez’s army
– they travel to the Gulf of Mexico, conquer Mexico City, and return to Spain to obtain goods for his achievements in the colonization of the Americas
– Cortes and army were given money, land, medallions, etc.,
– in 1530, he settled in Guatemala then died there in 1584
– his book was ahead of his time b/c of its detail and gave accounts on indigenous perspective
– some parts of the book got lost due to it being handwritten
I was intrigued to discover that one of Diaz’s inspirations for this piece of writing was to romanticize Spanish colonialism. He feared the efforts of the Spanish would go unnoticed. Because Diaz’s father was a publisher, Diaz had the privilege to receive critique and mentoring on his own work. I can perceive what Diaz’s dad might have conceivably meant for the composition of Diaz, whose work puts on a show of being an experience that keeps the perusers consideration. As for the accounts of the Natives, the indigenous people suffered many defeats and were stripped from their land. It is important to tell it how it is and acknowledge the fact that the Spanish had commit genocides on the indigenous people of Latin America.