Hernan+Cortes+Conquers+Mexico


 * Audience:** Hernan Cortes wrote this letter after his first encounter with the Aztec tribe of Mexico.


 * Place and Time:** This letter was sent from "Segura de la Frontera" on October 30th, 2009 (Mexico)


 * Prior Knowledge:** I know that the Aztec tribe was very, very powerful in Mexico. They had more gold than Spain has ever seen, and had huge elaborate cities. When Cortes first encountered them, they believed he was a god, and he was given the throne. Then when we was found out to be fake, he was thrown out. Cortes returned and defeated the Aztecs.


 * Audience:** This letter was sent to the Emperor of Spain. I think that the receiver being the ruler of Spain makes the source very reliable. Cortes is Spanish, and the Emperor is the leader, so he would not lie to him. Since communication was not fast at all in the 16th century, Cortes would have to have been as detailed as possible. Thus showing he would not put things that were not true in the letter.


 * Reason:** This letter was written to the Emperor of Spain to inform him about the Aztecs. Cortes was a conquistador and his job was to explore and discover new things. When he discovered the Aztecs the story of how he was accepted and greeted into their culture was fascinating, and that would mean many things for Spain, like gold and other resources.


 * The Main Idea:** This letter is basically telling the Emperor of Spain that Cortes was greeted in the Aztec civilization with arms VERY wide open. He is a god to them, and the Emperor would want to know of his progress.


 * Significance:** This letter is important because it gives us a detailed description on how the Aztecs acted toward Cortes and his men. It is interesting to see how they believed he was the god that left them many, many years ago. This is a good look into the past on how Indian-European relations were a long time ago.