Ellie Enichen
Amanda Soper
Timon Thume
Marianne Zhu
Period 3
World History II
Brutality on the Brutal
Project Outline
Intro into the time period
-Siberians cross tundra bride linking Asia and North America
-Glaciers melted, oceans rose, and stormy water causes bridge to go away
-People in the Americas begin to farm, settle down, and form cities
Intro into Aztec story and life
-Brutal civilization rises (the Aztec)
-Aztecs can’t find a place to live so they wander
-Reach Lake Texcoco
-Build a civilization called Tenochtitlan
-Tenochtitlan becomes one of the largest cities in the world (held almost five million people)
-Society possessed a government that worked, handsome buildings, painters, poets, historians, even historians
-However, Aztec society characterized by human sacrifices
-Christopher Columbus arrives in the new world
-Sails home and tells others about his journeys
-Others follow (many of them were Spaniards)
Hernan Cortez
-Cuba’s governor chose Cortez to lead expedition to America’s mainland
-Burns ships when they reached mainland so they couldn’t leave
-Many different indians disliked the Aztec so they joined the Spaniards on their conquest
Spanish Strength/takeover
-The Spanish had superior weapons, horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, and crossbows
- 508 soldiers
-IMPORTANT: POSSESSED THE WILL TO WIN
The Spaniards crushed the Aztec army
-Spaniards destroyed temples, stole royal’s gold,
-Spanish lost ⅓ of their men
-The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, was killed
-Spaniards raped Indian women, kill their soldiers.
Disease
-Smallpox started in 151
-At the same time they brought back the smallpox.
-Spread out in the Europe.
Christianity
-Church- powerful, but power decrease, but still powerful in new world.
-Force native to believe in christianity.
-Force them to give up native religion
Society afterward
-Bring Christianity to native nation
-Develop mine and farming, and improve domestic animals
-Extend Spanish rule through the country
Conclusion
-Nationalism
-Desire for power
-Because of their superior weapons and will to win, they did.
List of Images Needed
Ellie needs:
Tundra bridge linking Asia and North America
Siberians walking across America
The ocean
Ancient farming
Map of South America
Growing of corn
Ancient Aztec city
Drawing of the brutal Aztec
Map of Aztec migration to Lake Texcoco
Lake Texcoco city
Intricacy of canals and bridges of Lake Texcoco
Aztec killing
Aztec sacrifices
Prosperous Aztec city
Timon needs:
Columbus arrives to the new world in a boat
Columbus goes home on a boat
Spanish come to the new world - Hernan Cortez
The spanish talking next to boats about what they want
For background info on Cortez, a picture of Cuba’s governor at the time (Velasquez)
Another picture of the Spanish (maybe) of the arriving on the coast of Mexico where the Aztecs lived
Cortez burning their ships
Soldiers talking among themselves that they are stranded in the new world and have to fight
Indians joining the Spanish
Other indians fighting against them
Amanda needs:
Spaniards with swords, guns, horses, cannons
Aztecs afraid (of spaniards?)
A bunch of spanish soldiers, cheering if possible
Spaniards in a solid ranks and/or Aztecs charging in an unorganized mob
Spaniards conquering and taking aztec gold
assassination of Montezuma if possible (if not, just spaniards killing aztecs)
other indians fighting spaniards and dying
Aztecs dying of disease
Europeans dying of disease
Marianne needs:
Christian war
Aztecs change believe
Society of Aztecs before conquer and after.
Mining/farming
Aztecs type of Christianity
Conquer
Ellie needs for conclusion:
Spanish Flag
Gold
Spanish conquistador
The cross
Guns, horses, swords
Disease
List of Essential Details
A handful of Siberians travel the tundra bridge linking Asia and North America
Siberians scatter throughout North America
Glaciers melt, oceans rise, stormy water cuts of bridge from Asia to North America
Indians of the Americas learn to farm, settle down, begin to live in cities
Area of rapid change occurs mainly in Mexico, central America, and a portion of Peru
Indians learn how to grow corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cocoa, avocados, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, string and lima beans, tobacco, and shrubs that yield cocaine
As farming begins, peasants in the area begin to have more to eat, their numbers grow, they settle down, and so on and so forth
City states develop
Brutal civilization of the Aztec develops
Aztec forced to leave northern Mexico (possibly because they became too numerous)
Aztecs become nomads and wander southward toward the Valley of Mexico
Reach swampy islands off of the southwest shore of Lake Texcoco
Create a civilization on the islands, building bridges linking islands to the mainland, canals across the islands, etc.
Lake Texcoco becomes one of the largest cities in the world
Aztec develop a rich and ample empire using trickery and deceit
Aztec empire stretches across Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
Aztec empire characterized by human sacrifice
Every year Aztecs would sacrifice 15,000 prisoners
However, Aztec had a working government, buildings, painters, poets, astronomers, historians, and their own form of politicians, soldiers, priests, and tax collectors
Christopher Columbus arrives in the new world
Sails home and tells others about his journeys
Others follow (many of them were Spaniards)
One of these Spaniards was Hernan Cortez
They wanted adventure, treasure, land, and people that they could rule
Hernan Cortez
Cuba’s governor chose Cortez to lead expedition to America’s mainland
He gathered ships to sail to the eastern coast of Mexico (where the Aztecs were)
Burns ships when they reached mainland so they couldn’t leave
This made his soldiers either have to conquer or die
Many different indians disliked the Aztec so they joined the Spaniards on their
Other Indians tried to drive them back
Spanish Strength/Takeover
The Spanish had superior weapons
horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, cannons, and crossbows
The weapons were not only powerful and deadly but they terrified the Aztecs and other indians
508 soldiers
Possessed the will to win
Indians charged in yelling mobs, Spaniards fought in ordered ranks
The Spaniards crushed the Aztec army
Spaniards destroyed temples, stole royal’s gold,
Spanish lost ⅓ of their men
The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, was killed
Spaniards raped Indian women, kill their soldiers.
Other indians besides the Aztec tried to fight them but they failed as well
Disease
Smallpox started in 151
At the same time they brought back the smallpox, measles, and dysentery.
The indians had never been exposed to these diseases and therefore had no immunity or treatment.
The diseases changed while they were in the New World. When the diseases were transported back to Europe, they spread quickly and killed many people.
Christianity
Church power decrease-- need more believer
Force native to believe in christianity.
Force them to give up native religion
Use violence
Society afterward
Bring Christianity to native nation
Develop mine and farming, and improve domestic animals
Extend Spanish rule through the country
Cortes conquered Aztecs in 1521
Destroy the old Mexico building and build the new city over the ruins
Within 2 years, the Aztecs empire is totally destroyed.
Brutality on the Brutal Script
Ellie’s part:
Slide 1- Our story begins with the journey of a handful of Siberians, Siberians who embarked upon the route to the New World by crossing the tundra bridge linking Asia and North America.
Slide 2- The Siberians arrived in the New World to find an utterly undiscovered continent. They separated and dispersed throughout the land, some venturing down into what we today call Central and South America.
Slide 3- Meanwhile, as centuries passed, glaciers melted, oceans rose, and stormy water cut off the bridge the Siberians used.
Slide 4- And the ancestors of the Siberians who traveled to the New World began to learn to farm, settle down, and live in cities.
Slide 5- And rapid change began to occur, especially in Mexico.
Slide 6- Many of the peoples in Mexico began to learn how to grow corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cocoa, avocados, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, string and lima beans, tobacco, and even shrubs that yielded cocaine. Not long after, city states began to develop.
Slide 7- And along with that came the development of the brutal civilization of the Aztec.
Person 1 in photo: “Kill!”
Slide 8- The Aztec developed in Northern Mexico, but they were forced to leave, possibly because they became too numerous.They wandered southward toward the Valley of Mexico until they reached Lake Texcoco.
Slide 9- When they reached Lake Texcoco, they began to build a city, complete with bridges linking islands to the mainland, canals throughout the islands, and more.
Slide 10: This city soon became one of the biggest in the world at the time.
Slide 11: However, while the Aztec were able to create this spectacular city and an empire stretching across Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, they did this through means of trickery, deceit, and violence.
Person 1 in photo: “You were supposed to be our ally!”
Person 2 in photo: “Kill him.”
Slide 12- The Aztec also actively participated in human sacrifice. Every year the Aztec would sacrifice 15,000 prisoners.
Person: “For you, my god. I am sure you are hungry.”
Slide 13- However, despite the violent ways of the Aztec and their society, they still flourished. They had a working government, buildings, painters, poets, astronomers, historians, and even their own form of politicians, soldiers, priests, and tax collectors.
Timon’s part:
Slide 1- As the Aztec's society reached its peak, the early explorer, Christopher Columbus, left for the new world from Spain, where queen Isabella saw him off to his voyage.
Slide 2- Columbus arrived on the eastern coast of the new world.
Slide 3- After which, Columbus sailed back to Spain to report his findings to the queen.
Columbus: "These are the spoils of my venture."
Slide 4- After Columbus, other explorers followed. One of which was Herán Cortés, a spanish conquistador.
Slide 5- Cuba's governor, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, chose Cortés to lead an expedition to America's mainland.
Cortés: "I am to lead the expedition?"
Slides 6 & 7- Cortés then gathered ships and sailed to the eastern coast of Mexico. He proceeded to burn his ships so he and his men couldn't leave and had to either conquer or die.
Crew: "We want adventure, treasure, land, and people we can rule!"
Slide 8- Different local indians disliked the brutal Aztecs, and so joined the spaniards in their quest for power. These friendly indigenous people helped with hauling weapons, giving out provisions, and fought beside the spaniards.
Cortés: "Fight on!"
Slide 9- At the same time however, they fought against other indians, driving Cortés and his men back as they resisted.
Ellie’s conclusion:
Slide - How could this happen and why? Well, it partially had to do with the nationalism felt by the countries in Europe at the time...the competition among the countries that encouraged exploration.
Slide - And the greed for gold among countries.
Slide - And the greed for glory, and power, among countries.
Slide - And the need to convert the people of the New World into Christians. The fear of difference felt by the Europeans, and their desire to transform the South American empires into empires of their own largely drove the violent European conquests.
Slide - And because the Europeans had superior technologies such as horses, guns, swords of steel, pikes, and crossbows and the will to win.
Slide - And because they brought over diseases that wiped out entire populations, they were able to win.
