Conquest of Aztecs

Conquest of Aztecs Introduction Conquest in history. The conquest of Mexico can be considered one of the events in the world history that can be perceived in accordance with the literary sources available on the conquest. As such, two reputable sources Five Letters of Cortà ©s to the Emperor: 1519-1526 by Hernan Cortà ©s and The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by Miguel Leyn-Portilla advocate different perspectives on this historic phenomenon with detailed descriptions and evidence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Conquest of Aztecs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, to have a full picture of what has happened in Mexico in the era of the Aztec empire, it is necessary to take into account both perspectives and analyze views of both sides of the conflict. Disparities in Amerindian and Spanish versions. The main portion of disparities in the versions reported by Spaniards and Amerindians concerns the ro le of both sides in the conflict and the position they advocate. Thus, Spaniards, whose version has been regarded as the only documentary source of the conquest, perceive this conflict as an ordinary thing when they told the inhabitants about their friendly intentions but razed the city to collect gold and other riches. At the same time, Amerindians’ perspective reflects the culture of the Aztecs and lack of knowledge about the real plans of Spaniards. Though these two sources are completely different, they have a lot in common as they demonstrate the same events from different perspectives and seem t complement each other. Comparison of Sources First reports about the contact of Spaniards and Aztecs, mission of Spaniards, and perception of Aztecs. The first encounters of Spaniards and Aztecs are perceived in different ways by the two authors. As such, Cortà ©s claims that Spaniards were friendly to the natives and wanted to establish commercial relations with the representa tives of the Aztec empire in order to trade with them while the natives welcomed them in a hostile manner and many Spaniards were killed or wounded: Cortà ©s, replying by means of the native interpreter whom he had with him, informed them he was going to do them no harm but admonish them and bring them to the knowledge of our Holy Catholic Faith, that they might become vassals of your Majesty and serve and obey him, as had the Indians and peoples of those parts which are already peopled with Spanish subjects of your Majesty (Cortà ©s Five Letters 4). At the same time, this event was described in a completely different way by Leyn-Portilla.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Aztecs were terrified when they came to know about the arrival of strangers but though them to be of divine origin. So, â€Å"Prince Ixtlilxochitl of Tezcoco †¦ left his city with a group of follow ers to greet Cortà ©s in peace† (Leyn-Portilla II-330). This means that the Aztecs were ready to welcome the strangers and share everything they had with them because they believed Spaniards to be the gods that returned to their country to rule it. In other words, the perception of Aztecs was widely marked with their religious traditions and cultural peculiarities whereas the perception of Spaniards was marked only with a desire to serve the crown of his Majesty, spread Christianity at all costs, and enrich themselves and the Spanish rulers with the gold they noticed in the continent. The difference occurs due to the varieties in the perception of the conquest as a concept by both sides as for one party this was a massacre and destruction of the empire while for another this became a source of wealth. The image of Aztecs by Spaniards, and image of conquistadors by Aztecs. The image of each party differs greatly from another. This happens due to the disparities in their views, background knowledge of both sides, ability to infer from what they see, and use the information acquired for further development. At the same time, both authors emphasize the divine origin of Spaniards as perceived by Aztecs. For instance, Amerindians thought Spaniard to be their gods and were ready to accept whatever they say due to their desire to be helpful for their gods. The first contacts of Spaniards and Aztecs reflect the admiration of both parties, â€Å"the prince was astonished to see a man with such white skin and with a beard and with so much courage and majesty† (Leyn-Portilla II-331) as well as Cortà ©s openly admired the people he saw. This means that friendly relationships could be the basis for future cooperation, commerce, and partnership. The main reason for Spaniards to attack the Aztecs included their desire to serve the Spanish crown and â€Å"bring the natives of the land to the knowledge of our Catholic faith† (Cortà ©s The Fifth Letter 4) and collect the riches of the land in order to bring those to the mainland for their rulers. As reported by Townsend, â€Å"The belief was part and parcel of their [Aztecs’] cosmology and does not by any means indicate that they were lacking in intelligence or that their culture was ‘less developed’† (para. 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Conquest of Aztecs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main reason for their differences was the way they wanted to cooperate because it was important for Aztecs to remain a state with its own ruler and culture whereas the Spaniards tried to spread their faith by any means and retrieve as much gold and other riches from this abundant land as they could using violence to persuade people take their side. Tenochtitlan and Cortà ©s razing the main city of Aztec empire. The aspect of cooperation is viewed differently by the two authors who provide eviden ce to support their perspectives. At the same time, this aspect appears to be decisive for both parties as they have different missions and have different means for their accomplishment. As such, it is necessary to review the source by Chaliand who cites an excerpt from the book Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortà ©s where the captain Cortà ©s reports the rulers of Spain about the victory over natives and the results of their campaign and the city they have captured. Moreover, the author enumerates the cities they have destroyed and other ‘successful outcomes’. On the contrary, this situation with the main city of the Aztec empire called Tenochtitlan was perceived as the cruel and unfair action of Spaniards toward the native inhabitants of this land. Leyn-Portilla describes: â€Å"When the Spaniards entered the Royal House, they placed Motecuhzoma under guard and kept him under their vigilance† (II-334). This means that they pretended to be friendly only to rea ch the gold and were not interested in commerce with these people. Spaniards used Aztecs to reach their goal and performed their tasks with special cruelty; they â€Å"gathered all the gold into a great mount and set fire to everything else, regardless of its value† (Leyn-Portilla II-334). This means that Spaniards did not care about the cultural heritage of the native people of Mexico because they wanted gold and they received gold – the goal was attained. However, the razing of the city of Tenochtitlan is not described by Cortà ©s as something inappropriate which should not have been done or special needs of soldiers or aggression from natives that could have caused such violent response. The more interesting is the question why the natives allowed Spaniards to capture their chief and burn their houses and deprive them of their riches and other valuable issues. Warfare: Gap in technological issues. The gap in technology made the Aztecs unable to conquer the Spaniard s and defend themselves and their princes. IfAdvertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cortà ©s writes that the Aztecs â€Å"many enclosures, pits and ditches, and many kinds of weapons† (131); however, these weapons were mostly for fighting with other people from other settlings and for hunting. Such perspective helps to analyze the entire concepts of the conquest and its success for Spaniards because they could use their more advanced weapon to conquer these people with spending minimal human resources on this. The weapons of Aztecs are described in another way by â€Å"The most important offensive weapon of the Aztecs was the Macana, a sort of paddle-shaped wooden club edged with sharp bits of obsidian†¦during the Conquest warriors beheaded Spanish horses at a single stroke† (Leyn-Portilla II-328). Besides, the rituals were an integral part of the Aztec culture and they did not start a war without declaring it to the enemies. In fact, the tradition to declare war explains everything as the Aztecs were not ready to fight because they welcomed Spa niards as their friends. At the same time, both perspectives include description of weapons and warfare skills of the Aztec warriors contrasted to the lack of knowledge about the territory possessed by the Spaniards. In other words, the main technological advantage of the Spaniards can be considered the way they started the war without declaring it and caught them unawares. Though Spaniards had indigenous allies among natives, they suffered from endemic diseases which were one of the main drawbacks of their army whereas natives were less vulnerable in terms of their health and endemic diseases but truly believed in respect and other virtues typical of noble men (as you remember, they admired the courage and majesty of Cortà ©s when they first saw him). Conclusion The controversy that arises after reviewing the sources on the Mexican conquest can be directed into another way. After accurately analyzing the evidence provided by Hernan Cortà ©s and Miguel Leyn-Portilla in their books suggesting quite opposing accounts of this historic event, it is possible to advocate the idea that these two sources complement each other because it is inappropriate to infer after regarding the perspective of only one party of the conflict. This means that the differences in the description of first contacts, razing of Tenochtitlan, and analysis of warfare peculiarities can be smoothed with the help of dual perspective. In other words, the importance of objective idea about the main historic events is the key way to success and this approach should be used every time certain controversy over the issue arises. Chaliand, Gà ©rard. The Art of War in World History: From Antiquity to the Nuclear Age. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1994. Print. Cortà ©s, Hernn. The Fifth Letter of Hernan Cortes to the Emperor Charles V, Containing an Account of His Expedition to Honduras. Elibron.com, 2001. Print. Cortà ©s, Hernndo. Five Letters of Cortà ©s to the Emperor: 1519-1526 . New York: W. W. Norton Company, Inc., 1991. Print. Leyn-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1992. Web. Townsend, Camilla. â€Å"Burying the White Gods: New Perspectives on the Conquest of Mexico.† The American Historical Review 108.3 (2003): 56 pars. Web. https://historycooperative.org/journal/burying-the-white-gods-new-perspectives-on-the-conquest-of-mexico/.

Police Technology - Forensic Science History

Police Technology - Forensic Science History Forensic science is a scientific method of gathering and examining the evidence. Crimes are solved with the use of pathological examinations that gather fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, tooth bite prints, blood, hair and fiber samples. Handwriting and typewriting samples are studied, including all ink, paper, and typography. Ballistics techniques are used to identify weapons, as well as voice identification techniques, are used to identify criminals. History of Forensic Science The first recorded application of medical knowledge to the solution of crime was in the 1248 Chinese book Hsi DuanYu or the Washing Away of Wrongs, and it described ways to distinguish between death by drowning or death by strangulation. Italian doctor, Fortunatus Fidelis is recognized as being the first person to practice modern forensic medicine, beginning in 1598. Forensic medicine is the application of medical knowledge to legal questions. It became a recognized branch of medicine in the early 19th century. The  Lie Detector An earlier and less successful lie detector or polygraph machine was invented by James Mackenzie in 1902. However, the modern polygraph machine was invented by John Larson in 1921. John Larson, a University of California medical student, invented the modern lie detector (polygraph) in 1921. Used in police interrogation and investigation since 1924, the lie detector is still controversial among psychologists and is not always judicially acceptable. The name polygraph comes from the fact that the machine records several different body responses simultaneously as the individual is questioned. The theory is that when a person lies, the lying causes a certain amount of stress that produces changes in several involuntary physiological reactions. A series of different sensors are attached to the body, and as the polygraph measures changes in breathing, blood pressure, pulse and perspiration, pens record the data on graph paper. During a lie detector test, the operator asks a series of control questions that set the pattern of how an individual responds when giving true and false answers. Then the actual questions are asked, mixed in with filler questions. The examination lasts about 2 hours, after which the expert interprets the data. Fingerprinting In the 19th century, it was observed that contact between someones hands and a surface left barely visible and marks called fingerprints. Fine powder (dusting) was used to make the marks more visible. Modern fingerprint identification dates from 1880 when the British scientific journal Nature published letters by the Englishmen Henry Faulds and William James Herschel describing the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprints. Their observations were verified by the English scientist Sir Francis Galton, who designed the first elementary system for classifying fingerprints based on grouping the patterns into arches, loops, and whorls. Galtons system was improved upon by London police commissioner, Sir Edward R. Henry. The Galton-Henry system of fingerprint classification was published in June 1900, and officially introduced at Scotland Yard in 1901. It is the most widely used method of fingerprinting to date. Police Cars In 1899, the first police car was used in Akron, Ohio. Police cars became the basis of police transportation in the 20th century. Timeline 1850s The first multi-shot pistol, introduced by Samuel Colt, goes into mass production. The weapon is adopted by the Texas Rangers and, thereafter, by police departments nationwide. 1854 to 59 San Francisco is the site of one of the earliest uses of systematic photography for criminal identification. 1862 On June 17, 1862, inventor W. V. Adams patented handcuffs that used adjustable ratchets - the first modern handcuffs. 1877 The use of the telegraph by fire and police departments begins in Albany, New York in 1877. 1878 The telephone comes into use in police precinct houses in Washington, D.C. 1888 Chicago is the first U.S. city to adopt the Bertillon system of identification. Alphonse Bertillon, a French criminologist, applies techniques of human body measurement used in anthropological classification to the identification of criminals. His system remains in vogue in North America and Europe until it is replaced at the turn of the century by the fingerprint method of identification. 1901 Scotland Yard adopts a fingerprint classification system devised by Sir Edward Richard Henry. Subsequent fingerprint classification systems are generally extensions of Henrys system. 1910 Edmund Locard establishes the first police department crime laboratory in Lyon, France. 1923 The Los Angeles Police Department establishes the first police department crime laboratory in the United States. 1923 The use of the teletype is inaugurated by the Pennsylvania State Police. 1928 Detroit police begin using the one-way radio. 1934 Boston Police begin using the two-way radio. 1930s American police begin the widespread use of the automobile. 1930 The prototype of the present-day polygraph is developed for use in police stations. 1932 The FBI inaugurates its crime laboratory which, over the years, comes to be world-renowned. 1948 Radar is introduced to traffic law enforcement. 1948 The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) meets for the first time. 1955 The New Orleans Police Department installs an electronic data processing machine, possibly the first department in the country to do so. The machine is not a computer, but a vacuum-tube operated calculator with a punch-card sorter and collator. It summarizes arrests and warrants. 1958 A former marine invents the side-handle baton, a baton with a handle attached at a 90-degree angle near the gripping end. Its versatility and effectiveness eventually make the side-handle baton standard issue in many U.S. police agencies. Introduction: What is Forensic Science History?Polygraph MachinesOther Equipment: Fingerprinting, Police CarsTimeline of Police Technology 1850 - 1960, 1960 - 1996