NARRATING THE CONQUEST
I. Introduction: Telling Stories
What difference does it make how we tell the story of the conquest?
A. Cortes and Moctezuma
1. William Prescott (1843)
2. Tale as told by Tlaxcalans: we were the victorsB . Pizarro and Atahualpa (Cajamarca, 1532)
1. Spanish accounts: throws down bible
2 . Inca Titu Cusi Yupanqui: Pizzaro desacrated chalice
3 . Garcilaso de la Vega (mestizo): misunderstanding
4 . Guaman Poma (father as ambassador from Huascar): no just war
II. Military Clash of Empires:
Which factors in the balance of forces were most important in the cases of military conflicts between the Spaniards and the Mexica and the Incas respectively? (see previous lecture)
A. Mexico and Spaniards (1519-21)
1. Phase I: From Veracruz to Tenochtitlan (Emphasized in Story Telling)
a. Founding of Veracruz: Cortes tries to legalize his actions and explains why they keep moving
b. Intelligence: translators:Malinche/Dona Marina/Malintzin [image from Lienzo de Tlaxcala]
c. Tlaxcala (allies)
d. Moctezuma welcomed Cortes and then captured. Omens? Gods?*no sources on what Moctezuma thinking
*possible factors: not season for war, had to cautious because of rivals, underestimated threate. Noche Triste: 400 Spaniards, 4000 native allies died
2. Phase II: Siege of Tenochtitlan
a. smallpox hits Tenochtitlan(disease) after expulsion of Spaniards
b. military tactics/weapons
c. siege and fight for causeways [image from Lienzo de Tlaxcala]B. Incas and Spaniards (1532-39/1572) [Will finish on Oct. 6]
1. Civil War over Succession to Huayna Capac
2. Capture of Atahualpa (Executed despite ransom of 11 tons gold and 13 tons silver)
3. Manco Inca—Rebellion and Siege of Cuzco (1536-39) [See Andrien, Andean Worlds, 41-43]
4. Military Tactics and allies
5. Incas in Exile (until capture and execution of Inca Túpac Amaru, 1572) [See Andean Worlds, 193-99]
III. Conclusions
Questions:
What difference does it make how we tell the story of the conquest?
Which factors in the balance of forces were most important in the cases of military conflicts between the Spaniards and the Mexica and the Incas respectively?
I.D. Terms:
Veracruz
Hernán Cortés
La Malinche/Malintzin/Doña Marina
Tlaxcala
Moctezuma
Noche Triste
Francisco Pizarro
Huayna Capac (died 1527)
Huascar
Atahualpa
Manco Inca
Túpac Amaru
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