GB+APPARTS+method+primary+response

Grif Berland Hernán Cortés Conquers Mexico A-This primary source was a letter written by Hernán Cortes. He is describing his experiences with Moctezuma and the Aztec people. PT- The source was produced at Segura de la Frontera, the area the Aztecs had conquered in 1466. It was written on October 30th, 1520. PK- Hernán Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition to modern day Mexico in 1519. The mission of the Conquistador was to acquire gold and riches as well as glory from a successful expedition. The Aztec city was known for its vast amounts of gold so Cortés had found exactly what he was looking for. Another mission of the Spanish Conquistador was to convert native people they encountered to Catholicism. A- This letter was written to the King of Spain. This makes the source very reliable because the letter was written to someone in a very high position of power. R- This letter was written to update the King of Spain on the discoveries of Cortés’ expedition. He wrote it after his first encounter with the Aztec leader Moctezuma. TMI- This source is describing the events that took place on the first encounter with the Aztec people. The main idea of the letter is to tell the king that Cortés has gained power and respect among the Aztec people. He easily converts the Aztecs to Catholic beliefs. He succeeded in removing one of their most important idols and ‘flung it down the stairs’. He secured an enormous amount of gold as well. This shows how much power Cortés had over the Aztecs from the very beginning. S- This source is important because it accurately describes the events that took place during Cortés’ conquest of the Aztec people. This occurrence was very influential is shaping the culture and history of Mexico.

Aztec Chroniclers Describe the Spanish Conquest A- The author of this source is the Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. He was in charge of recording the history of the Aztec people. The point of view of this source is from one of Sahagún’s witnesses that watched the events unfold. PT- These events took place is the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The year it took place was 1519. PK- The Aztecs had formed a complex society and had their own religious beliefs which had been passed down through the generations. Once Cortés arrived, Motecuhzoma had addressed him as a god of his people. This made it easy for Cortés to assume control. He was in search of great riches which drew him to the city. A- Historians are the intended audience of this source. Sahagún was a chronicler so his job was to accurately record the events that took place. This makes him a reliable source. R- This source was produced to document the happenings of the Aztec culture. These traumatic events were important in Aztec history. TMI- The main idea of this source is to describe the first Spanish encounter with the Aztecs, express their interest in the city, and give us an idea of what the fiesta of Huitzilopochtli was like. The document also gives us a vivid portrayal of the Spanish reaction to the celebration. S- This source is significant because it provides a story from the point of view of an Aztec native. This depiction of the events that took place may be very different from that of someone who is not part of the Aztec culture.

Compare and Contrast  Both Cortés’ and Sahagún’s account of the first Spanish encounter with the Aztecs are somewhat similar. Both accounts describe Cortés and Montezuma showing signs of respect towards each other such as exchanging gifts. Montezuma provides Cortés and his men with food and a place to stay. After this the accounts begin to differ. The letter to the King of Spain describes the ‘savage’ nature to the Aztec religion. Cortés talks about how he dismantled statues of Aztec gods and replaced them with the beliefs of Catholicism. Sahagún’s portrayal of the Aztec religion is much different from what Cortés describes. He describes the religious customs of the Aztecs with great detail while Cortés talks about how their religious practices were false and the importance of converting to Catholicism.

A Young African Boy is taken into Slavery Smith’s removal from his home land was very swift and traumatic for him. Watching his father die by the hands of his captors was something he could not forget. After he arrived in Rhode Island he was sent to the sister of his master before he was transferred to the place where he would be used for slave labor. Smith describes himself as being submissive and obedient which helped him adjust to the life of slavery in the New World.
 * Primary Source Response Questions**

The Intolerant Act of Toleration Catholic’s are protected by the Act because any person who offended a Catholic would have had to pay a fine or be whipped and imprisoned. Anyone who did not believe Jesus Christ was the savior would be put to death and have their land and property confiscated to the Lord proprietary. This included Jews and atheists.

Framing the Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact was an agreement to combine these pilgrims to a ‘civil body politic.’ This was the basis of the first American constitution. The compact suggests such things as representation, amendments, and equal laws which are all part of a democratic constitution. Ann Hutchinson is Banished The Puritan way of thinking was supreme in the Bible commonwealth colonies. At this record suggests, the court did not need evidence or reason to banish someone like Ann Hutchinson who did not have Puritan beliefs. Hutchinson was not informed of the reason she was banished. The Blue Laws of Connecticut  The punishments for the crimes mentioned in the Blue Laws usually involved death of the offender. These punishments were applied to any crime from religious activists to children who do not behave. Offenses such as murder would have been a criminal offense today. Puritan laws were very strict in an attempt to create a perfect society that was closer to God than other societies. These Blue Laws eliminated anyone who was not part of this “perfect society”.