Work with texts: fragments of the 2nd and 4th Hernán Cortés´ "Cartas de Relación"

In this link you will find a primary source for History. It is some fragments of the "Cartas de Relación" (more accurately, some parts of the 2nd and the 4th ones). 

The "Cartas de Relación" were the chronicles that Hernán Cortés himself sent to Charles V, Emperor of the Roman Germanic Holy Empire and also king of the Hispanic Monarchy (with the name of Charles I) at that time. The aim of these documents, thus, it is to summarize and to inform the Spanish crown about the process of conquest, colonization and settlement in Nueva España (Northern and Central America).

Here you can find some key concepts to understand the process of the Spanish conquests, specially in the Aztec Empire. 

Read the text and answer these questions. You have to the monday Novembre, 9th (so, after our exam) to give your exercise to the teacher:

1- Focus: Where and when is written this texts? Who is the author? To whom are these documents adressed? What kind of text do you think it is? (economic, social, politic, religious, laws, managing, historial, literary, a handbook, etc...)

2- Internal analysis: What are the main ideas of this text? What geographic discoveries do the Spaniards in the paragraph #2 (page 3)? How is the treatment from Moctezuma to the conquistadores? What did he think about them? Does he recall any Aztec myth? What is the role of the Cortes´men on it?

On the other hand: How is the description of Tenochtitlán made by Cortés?. Name some of the main characteristics he recognized in that city. In general, do you think his writing is in good or bad terms?

On the 4th Carta, what he is asking to the Emperor? the arrival of whom and for which purpose? What he says about the settlement of Spaniards in new lands? What habits he is complaining about?

3- External commentary: Write half a sheet relating this Cartas from Cortés with the contents in our book.    

Video: The Magellan-Elcano´s Expedition (1519-22), the first World Tour

                   



           
         
                   


          




This video is about the first voyage around the world: the Expedition of Magellan-Elcano in 1,519-22. It is one of the most astonishing adventures in History, and a great epic goal achieved by the Spanish sailors and explorers.                

Historical video: "Nao Victoria, cómo se navegaba en la Edad Moderna"

                           

Here you have a video about the recent reconstruction of the Nao Victoria, the Spanish ship that starred the first voyage around the world, in the Magellan-Elcano´s Expedition (1,519-1,522). This video is focused on the technical aspects of the ship and the Early Modern Age navigation, in addition of some aspects related with the reconstruction.

Map with the main trade routes on Europe at 15th Century (Renaissance)

Unit 1: The start of the Modern Age: 15th and 16th Centuries

Here you can watch some presentations about the Early Modern Ages, from the fall of Constantinople, the end of the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire (1,453) to the French Revolution (1,789). 

In order to prepare these five units, you can find interesting these presentations:

1) Presentation nº1: THIS ONE will be used, specially, in the class

2) Presentation nº2: Good general overview about this age. It is actually very managing because to be shorter and very shallow, but it ignorates some fundamental contents, such for instance the great geographical discoveries. It is good for a first general overview, but then to prepare the contents following our book and the presentation nº2

3) Presentation nº 3:   It is very complete. It is takes the main contents from the book and slightly develop them, with many sketches, schemes and cartography. My recommendation is to study these units with it in front of you, if possible.

4) Presentation nº4: Only covers the topic about the great geographical discoveries in the 15-16th Centuries, poorly-displayed in the other two. It is an excellent complement for our Unit 2.