Mexican History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexican History - Term Paper ExampleOf course, the Spaniards military superiority is well documented. Moctezumas warriors were bewildered by the firepower Cortes men brought to bear and the Aztec population was decimated by the smallpox pandemic. It all happened with shocking induce Cortes made landfall at the Gulf of Mexico in 1519 two years later, he and his men entered the smoking ruins of Tenochtitlan, know of Mexico.1 In so short a time, the Aztec empire was completely shattered. Conquered by Cortes, the Indians of central Mexico had to come to legal injury with a radically new society.2 What would follow was a cauldron of ethnic, social and political change. The oppression of the Aztecs was the great drama that raised the curtain on Mexicos colonial epoch. The Spaniards had adroitly forged alliances among the peoples of exchange Mexico, yet these fared diminished better than their Aztec victims. The Tarascans, among others, benefited in the short term from the conquest of Tenochtitlan, but they were no much impervious to the ravages of smallpox than their ancient oppressors. They didnt have long to wait before discovering that the Spanish, who had promised so much, were to sprain their new oppressors. 2 The first Audiencia, established by decree in 1527, established a precedent of corruption that would become a hallmark of the Spanish occupation. It was also illustrative of the struggle between church service and government over a number of issues, not the least of which was the treatment of the primals. Juan de Zumarraga, first bishop of Mexico, wrote a earn to King Charles V of Spain complaining of the depredations committed by the administration of Nuno de Guzman. Zumarragas letter addressed everything from flagitious land grabs to outright murder. He writes that since the Audiencia was established, they have declared vacant many and very good encomiendas of Indians, more than thirty of them, either by exiling those who held them, or by c onfiscation3 Zumarraga proceeded to list the encomiendas the Audiencia itself had bestowed on the native population. It got worse Zumarraga went on to list breathtakingly immoral behavior by Guzman and his cronies. On one occasion, the lords of Tlateloco of this city came to me drooping so bitterly that I was struck with pity for them and they complained to me saying that the president and oidores were demanding of them their good-looking daughters, sisters, and female relatives.4 Things had gotten so bad, Zumarraga reported, that an Audiencia official demanded that the Indians provide what amounted to a personal harem for Guzman. The president had also wasted little time engaging in a slave trade at the expense of the natives. Zumarraga reached the end of his circuit when the Audiencia forced him to desist from acting in the capacity of defender of Indian rights. Eventually, Zumarragas complaints and the opposition of Guzmans 3 political enemies, such as Cortes, were enough to co nvince the authorities of Guzmans guilt. In 1538, he was arrested for treason and for abusing the governments subjected Indian populations. One may question the veracity of some of Zumarragas charges, but there can be no doubt that Guzman and the oidores of the Audiencia had been told to treat the natives with respect and