Summary Of The Book 'Fifth Sun'

In the book Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend we explore the history of the Aztecs, but from the perspective of the Aztecs themselves, opposed to the norm of the story being told from the European perspective. This opened up a lot more of the Aztecs history that got lost in the later tellings of the same story. We see similarities but mostly differences when looking at it from the Aztecs point of view. This unique perspective we get as Townsend is leading us through this story helps us better understand the Aztecs but also in my opinion better understand how the European conquistador fully took advantage of the Aztecs' kindness and their cluelessness about who they were and why they were there. As we review the book I am more focused on the ways/events

It took four hours for Spanish armor and weaponry to drive them back. This time, the Spanish even used their guns, which were really tiny cannons that couldn’t be aimed well but could scatter grapeshots with deadly effect. “The enemy was so massed and numerous,” commented one of the Spaniards later, “that every shot wrought havoc among them.” Many dozens of Tlaxcalan men died that day, each one swept up into the arms of his comrades and carried from the battlefield. Yet only one Spaniard died”(Townsend 102). This passage showcases the Spaniard's strong military advantages because despite being heavily outnumbered by the Tlaxcalan only one Spaniard died whereas dozens of the Tlaxcalan died at the end of the Spaniard's guns and tiny cannons. This was another massive reason that the Mexica were defeated because the Spaniards had guns which as we saw above does significant damage to the opposing side and eliminates a hefty amount of their population basically giving the Spaniards victory in every

As Townsend explains: “However, his plan failed. The strangers and their newfound friends, the Tlaxcalans, turned down his tribute offer and continued to approach. They stopped in Cholula, now a subject town of Moctezuma’s. He gave orders to the Cholulans that they not feed the strangers well. He also commanded them to attack the party as they left the city when they would be forced to pass through certain narrow ravines as they entered the ring of mountains surrounding the central valley”(Townsend 103). This passage showcases how the Spaniards used their alliance with the Tlaxcalans to deny the Mexica in their attempt to make an alliance to save themselves from the Spaniard's attacks. This further proves how strong of an opponent the Spaniards were and just how strategic they were making alliances with other indigenous groups to take out the rest and then eventually take out the Tlaxcalans as well. In conclusion, the Mexica were defeated by the Spaniards because of the spreading of disease such as smallpox, the Spaniards' overpowered military and weapon force, and the Spaniard's ability to pose such a massive threat that other indigenous groups made alliances with them in hopes of not being entirely