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Compare And Contrast Christopher Columbus And Cortes

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Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes were both famous Spanish adventurers during the Age of Exploration. When the explorers came upon land, they encountered two different cultures. In 1492, Columbus encountered the Taino people, and in 1520, Cortes encountered the Aztecs. The two cultures that the men encountered were different in more ways than they were similar in regards to how the natives treated the men, what weapons they had and their war-like behavior, their technologically advancements, their housing and architectural structures, and even their religion. According to Christopher Columbus, the Taino people of the Caribbean Islands that he encountered “were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us” (Journal, page 6). The Taino people were fascinated with Christopher Columbus and his …show more content…

“There was one palace somewhat inferior to the rest, attached to which was a beautiful garden with balconies extending over it, supported by marble columns, and having a floor formed of jasper elegantly inlaid” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter to Charles V, page 4). The workmanship in these homes and temples was something so magnificent that Cortes had never seen before. In comparison, the Taino people were a very uncultivated society and made the best of what they had on the island. As far as religion goes, Columbus said “[The Taino People] have no religion, and I believe that they would very readily become Christians, as they have a good understanding” (Journal, page 8). The Aztecs were quite different. Cortes noted that the Aztec believed and worshipped multiple gods and idols. “Three halls are in this grand temple, which contain the principal idols” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter To Charles V, page 3). Cortes even tried to “divert them from their idolatries, and draw them to a knowledge of God” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter To Charles V, page

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Spain’s relations with Native Americans began when Christopher Columbus and his caravels, the Nina and Pinta, along with a larger ship, the Santa Maria, sailed west to in time, discover what he would then name, San Salvador. The islanders who lived on San Salvador called themselves Tainos. Columbus quickly realized they had beliefs that greatly differentiated from what he had seen in Europe. “Columbus’s landfall in the Caribbean initiated a thriving exchange between the people, ideas, cultures, and institutions of the Old and New Worlds that continues to this day.” “Columbus’s perceptions of the Tainos were shaped by European attitudes, ideas, and expectations, just as the Tainos’ perceptions of the Europeans were no doubt colored by their

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On October 12, 1492, an Italian merchant by the name of Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the New World. With him he brought three ships and a small crew of Spaniards. After exploring other islands, Columbus came one that he called Hispaniola; here, they found seemingly primitive and naϊve natives that they immediately began to take advantage of. However, little did they know that this first meeting would bring exploration of South and Central America that would wreak havok among the Natives. Throughout the period of European Expansion, Natives were ripped from their home and forced to work day in and day out.

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A major part of Aztec life, centered around religion. The Aztecs believed in a polytheistic, animistic religion. There were about 128 major deities, including gods of rain, fire, water, corn, the sky, and the sun, which showed you how large of a scale their religion was. When it comes to Aztec religion and culture, it becomes crucial to

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On March 15, 1493 Explorer Christopher Columbus wrote a letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Castille announcing his discoveries in what he thought to be the eastern side of China, but was actually the first European contact with America. Columbus’ intention was to show how easy it was to conquer the “New World” and convert its denizens to Christianity. Columbus started his letter by primarily announcing the newly explored lands after Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to honor their royalty. Following that, he described his first interaction with Indigenous people when they fled from the Europeans as Columbus approached them. He also stated that Indigenous people had no fixed government that acted as a regulatory body.

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Religion played a huge role in the Aztec society. Religion was the most important thing to the Aztec people . The Aztecs used omens and stars to tell the future. The Aztecs had believed that a god named Quetzalcoatl would and destroy the entire Aztec civilization and he would return in the year of the seed. In 1519 a Explorer named Hernan Cortes discovered Mexico in 1519.

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