Pathfinder

Statment of Purpose
The Aztecs were a vast empire supported by the tribute of conquered peoples through the Yucatan and what is modern central and southern Mexico. While it took them only 150 years to rise from tribe on the brink extinction into the most opulent empire pre-Columbian America ever saw, it took a handful of Spanish conquistadors only a little over two years to subdue this great empire.
The purpose of my research paper was to learn about the practices of Aztec warfare and in particular how this affected their fall from power at the hands of Cortes and his 300 men. Though it was their military prowess and heavy-handed style of rule that propelled the Aztecs to such great wealth and power, it was these very things that ultimately led to their downfall.

Primary Sources

Cortes, Hernan. Letters from Mexico. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.

Though Cortes’ account is extraordinarily biased, it is none the less is an absolutely invaluable resource when learning about the Aztecs. His letters recount the wonders of Aztec civilization and gives us a look at this once great empire through the eyes of a European.

Duran, Fray Diego. The History of the Indies of New Spain. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1994

Duran was a Dominican friar born in Spain but raised in Mexico. He was fluent in the Aztec Nahuatl language and in this record written fifty years after the conquest of Mexico he gives us a valuable look at Aztec culture told by its own people. Though colored by his religious views it is none the less a great resource.

Gomara, Fransisco Lopez De. Cortes: The Life of the Conqueror by his Secretary. Berkley: University of California Press, 1964.

The least useful and the most biased of primary sources I’ve listed. Though his account does give interesting accounts of Cortes’ life found nowhere else, the book is so pro-Spanish it is hard to extract pertinent information about the Aztec.

Secondary Sources

Hassig, Ross. "Mesoamerica: Warfare." Concise Encyclopedia of Mexico. 2001. 406-08. Academic Search Complete. 15 Apr. 2009.

Though short, this article is extremely informative. Hassig is considered to be an authority on Aztec warfare and his work is carefully researched and well thought out. If this article piques your interest, check out his book Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control.

http://library.austincc.edu/eresources/SubGen.htm Search in “Academic Search Complete” for “Aztec warfare” and you’ll find it on the first page.

Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Beacon Press, 1992.

This book is an excellent resource of compiled indigenous resources. Though not listed as a primary source due to the fact that Portilla himself translated it, it should be considered one. This work provides great insight into Aztec culture and thought, especially when read alongside Spanish accounts of the conquest.

Mann, Charles C. 1491. New York: Vintage Books, 2006.

Though this book only briefly deals with the Aztecs, it paints a vivid picture of pre-Columbian Americas. This backdrop helps to give a frame of reference for the Aztec way of life and ultimately provides a reader with a better understanding of how the conquest was accomplished.

Schmall, John P. "The Rise of the Aztec Empire." Houston Institute of Culture. 20 Apr. 2009

A quick and dirty look at some stats and facts about the Aztec empire. Though he tends to only cite one or two sources when giving statistics it is still a nice synopsis. I would suggest looking at the population estimates of other authors alongside this.

http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/aztecs.html

Schwartz, Stuart B. Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000.

Another book that could be listed under primary sources. The book is an account of the conquest told from a number of different contemporary viewpoints. Each chapter is prefaced by a short historical disclosure and then the author provides alternating Spanish and indigenous accounts of events and lets the reader do some of the thinking for themselves. An invaluable resource.

Townsend, Richard F. The Aztecs. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2000.

Townsend is thoroughly researched and articulate. His forte lies in interpretation and evaluation of Aztec art. Though this gives him interesting insights, some of his views are at odds with other Mesoamerican historians and anthropologists-Not necessarily a bad thing.

 

By John Graves