The Broken Spears (NOTE: Start reading with the Introduction (XXV) and continue through p. 149. Then read pp. 162-172. Also, as you read, make use of the map on the title page of the book.) Study Questions, The Broken Spears (NOTE: Start reading with the Introduction (XXV) and continue through p. 149. Then read pp. 162-172. Also, as you read, make use of the map on the title page of the book.) 1. How did these Indian accounts of the conquest of Mexico originate? How do you explain contradictions or discrepancies that arise in their description of key events? 2. Give two or three examples of the omens that foreshadowed the arrival of Cortes and the Spaniards. How did the Aztecs interpret these signs? What does it reveal about the Aztec belief system? 3. When and where did the Spaniards arrive in Mexico? What did Moctezuma’s messengers and magicians find most notable about them? Why did the Aztecs believe the Spaniards were gods? 4. Describe Moctezuma’s personal reaction to news of the Spaniards’ approach. In what sense was the Aztec king a tragic figure? Would he be regarded as a heroic figure in Mexican history? What ultimately happened to him? 5. Provide a character sketch of Cortes. What qualities enabled him to defeat the Aztec Empire? What values and motives brought him to Mexico? Why did he tell the Indians he had come there? 6. Under what circumstances in these accounts did the Aztecs conduct human sacrifice? How did the Spaniards react to this practice? 7. What resulted when the Spaniards battled the Otomies of Tecoac? What advantages in weapons technology did the Spaniards enjoy over the Indians (make sure to note their use of animals in this respect)? 8. Why did the Tlaxcaltecas ally with the Spaniards? How large a role did this sort of collaboration play in the Aztec defeat? Who was La Malinche? 9. What sort of gifts did the Indians present to the white men? How do the Indians describe the Spaniards interest in gold? 10. Why did Prince Ixtlilxochitl convert to Christianity? What was the significance of his mother’s reaction? 11. Why did Moctezuma allow Cortes to peacefully enter Tenochtitlan? What features made the Aztec capital so impressive? What is this location’s importance today? 12. Why and with what results did the Spaniards attack the Aztecs during their Fiesta dance in the Main Temple? What happened on the Night of Sorrows? 13. Describe the ravages of the plague in Tenochtitlan. What was this malady and where had it come from? 14. How did Cortes eventually capture Tenochtitlan? What role did Cuauhtemoc play in its defense? What was the significance of the Quetzal-Owl in the last stage of the fight? 15. How did the Spaniards treat the vanquished Aztecs? What were the emotions of the surviving Aztecs in the aftermath of their defeat? Do the Aztecs still exist? 16. Identify and state the significance of the following: Nahautl, Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli, Tlatelolco. 17. What is the historical significance of these Aztec accounts of the Conquest? What did the struggle between Aztecs and the Spaniards represent? In what essential way is this account a part of Texas as well as Mexican history?