Name: Class: Date:
Exploring the Americas: Lesson 3 - Primary Source Activity: Spain in America
Primary Source Activity
EXPLORING THE AMERICAS
Lesson 3 Spain in America
The Conquest of Mexico
Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a soldier under Hernán Cortés during what Díaz described as the “discovering,
conquering, pacifying, and colonizing” of New Spain. Díaz was born in 1492, the year Columbus made his first
voyage to the Americas. He wrote this eyewitness account—The True Story of the Conquest of New Spain—
nearly 80 years later. In the passage presented here, Díaz describes how Montezuma, the Aztec ruler,
displayed the statues that the Aztec worshipped. As you read, focus on the writer’s vivid descriptions of the
gods. Think how Cortés, a Christian, reacted. Think how this encounter may have affected his opinion of Aztec
civilization.
Directions: Read the following description of Aztec objects of worship.
1. Identifying According to Montezuma, how do these gods help the Aztec?
2. Describing What materials were used to make the figures of the gods?
3. Identifying Point of View What does Cortés think of the Aztec gods?
4. Critical Thinking
Powered by Cognero Page 1
Name: Class: Date:
Exploring the Americas: Lesson 3 - Primary Source Activity: Spain in America
Speculating What do you think was Montezuma’s reason for showing the statues to Cortés?
5. Critical Thinking
Evaluating Which god do you think Montezuma might have liked best? Which god do you think an Aztec
farmer would like best? Explain your reasoning.
Powered by Cognero Page 2
Name: Class: Date:
Exploring the Americas: Lesson 3 - Primary Source Activity: Spain in America
Answer Key
1. According to Montezuma, the gods give health, water, “good seed times,” weather, victories.
2. precious stones, gold, pearls, mirrors
3. Cortés thinks the statues are idols, not gods, and are evil.
4. Montezuma may have wanted to impress Cortés with the fearsomeness of his gods, to show how powerful
he was because they were helping him.
5. Possible answer: Huichilobos, the god of war, may have been Montezuma’s favorite because as king he had
fought battles and may have realized he would have to fight Cortés. A farmer may have liked the figure that
was carved of wood and was half-man and half-lizard because this being's body was full of all the seeds in the
world.
Powered by Cognero Page 3
