During the siege of Tenochtitlán in 1520, the population was not only low on food but dying of smallpox. Smallpox can also spread through contact with contaminated clothing and bedding, although the risk of infection from these sources is less common. Cano, another primary source, gives 1,150 Spaniards dead, though this figure was likely too high and might encompass the total loss from entering Mexico to arriving into Tlaxcala. Miguel Leon Portilla, a Mexican anthropologist, gathered accounts by the Aztecs, some of which were written shortly after the conquest. WHO information on smallpox ; Sources available in the Archives. In 1519 Hernan Cortés sailed from Cuba, landed in Mexico and made his way to the Aztec capital. Jun 9, 2012 - still from The Florentine Codex, depicting cannibalism. In the 18th century, the British tried to infect Native American populations. Cortés' chaplain back in Spain, Francisco López de Gómara, estimated that 450 Spaniards and 4,000 allies had died. The resource includes information on: Aztec gods, rulers, priests, temples, the Aztec empire and Aztec calendars. Pupils will learn about how the Aztecs excelled at farming and agriculture, and what made them such good warriors in our National Geographic Kids’ Aztec primary resource sheet. Starting with its origins 10,000 years ago in Africa or Asia, Hopkins follows the disease through the ancient and modern worlds, showing how smallpox removed or temporarily incapacitated heads of state, halted or exacerbated wars, and devastated populations that had never been exposed to the disease. What happened? Within a few decades of their first contact with Europeans, the Aztec and Inca succumbed to smallpox death at rates as high as 90%. The ability of smallpox to incapacitate and decimate populations made it an attractive agent for biological warfare. 25% of the empire is said to have been lost to the disease alone. The smallpox epidemic greatly assisted the Spanish in their conquest of the Valley of Mexico and played a critical role in the collapse of Aztec civilisation. Share this story. 1518 Smallpox introduced to the Caribbean by the African slave trade. The emperor, Cuitláhuac, died of smallpox, along with … Introduction In 1518, the Aztec Empire included about 30 million people. This subject forms a separate fonds, although it is also covered by other fonds: The Aztec codices are manuscripts that were written and painted by tlacuilos (codex creators). A deliberate release of smallpox is a remote threat. In the primary source above, the effects of smallpox and possibly other communicable diseases enable Native American to go about their daily functions, such as, move, stir, or change positions. Smallpox. Between 1519 and 1521, Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, overthrew the Aztec Empire.This event is called the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.Cortés helped old enemies of the Aztecs defeat them in one of the most important events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.. 1520 Millions of Aztec people die in smallpox epidemic. Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Across the Centuries. The Aztec calendar, ... By 1520, smallpox had reduced the population of Tenochtitlan by 40% in just one year. This unforeseenable exchange from Europeans to the Americas devastated the life of a once populated and functionable Aztec civilization according to Bernardino De Sahagun. Introduction to the Source. In a story which demonstrates the profound impact of the Columbian Exchange, this text recounts the arrival of smallpox in Understanding Primary Sources: Cortés Visits Tenochtitlán Objective: Students analyze a description of the Aztec capital written by Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés and use it to create their own 3-D model of the imperial city. Primary Sources: Cortes Describes the Aztec Capital of Tenochtitlan, 1520 TOP: In his letter, Hernan Cortes described a marketplace like the one depicted in this diorama of the Tlatelolco Marketplace at Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois. One can scroll up and down to see the other versions of the sources. Smallpox endemic in India, spread to China, Japan, Europe, and north Africa. PRIMARY SOURCE: Historical account, 1726. Explore resources and ideas for Using DPLA's Primary Source Sets in your classroom. View the source to the right to read an Aztec account of Cortes and Montezuma II meeting for the first time. (16th century). Before the Spaniards "discovered" South America (the area that the Aztecs were living in), the major disease that affected the Aztecs was syphilis, which is an STI (sexually transmitted infection). Diseases in Aztecs times can be split up into two sections - before the Spaniards and after the Spaniards. The largest Aztec market was located in Tenochtitlan's neighboring town, Tlatelolco. Recent studies have revealed, however, that smallpox was not the sole “invisible and deadly ally” infecting Mesoamerica at the … Miguel Leon Portilla, a Mexican anthropologist, gathered accounts by the Aztecs, some of which were written shortly after the conquest.
. 1800's Vaccinia virus used in vaccinations against variola 1950 Cortes’s army besieged Tenochtitlan for 93 days. Primary Sources. Columbian Exchange Activity: Primary Sources: Smallpox and the Aztecs Your class will be reading a text written in the 1500s by a Spanish priest, based on his interviews with Indian peoples in Mexico. Name:_____ Date:_____ PRIMARY SOURCE CHAPTER 1 CONQUEST OF THE AZTECS Hernán Cortes Conquers Mexico (1519-1526) In 1519 the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico and quickly conquered the Aztecs, a powerful people who had long dominated their neighbors in the central Mexican highlands. This is the true story of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. By 1568, the estimates are that only 3 million people remained in the area covered by the Aztec Empire. But more importantly, the Aztec chain of command was in ruins. "The Fall of the Aztec Empire. Primary Source: Aztec account of the massacre at the temple in May 1520; Florentine codex. The Spanish conquest was devastating to the Aztec people. 1796 Jenner shows persons inoculated with cowpox virus are resistant to smallpox. The Aztec Empire. - In 1519, Hernan Cortes landed in Mexico, followed by more Spaniards from Cuba a year later. Superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to … To give feedback, contact us at education@dp.la. In 1519 Hernan Cortés sailed from Cuba, landed in Mexico and made his way to the Aztec capital. Primary Source: Aztec Poetry 273 A map of the route taken by Hern n Cort s from the east coast to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitl n. The Art Archive/Museo Ciudad … Battle of Tenochtitlan (May 22–August 13, 1521), military engagement between the Aztecs and a coalition of Spanish and indigenous combatants commanded by Hernan Cortes. The image to the right depicts the smallpox epidemic. N.p., n.d. The indigenous population of New England experienced a similarly disastrous collapse. - An African slave who came in 1520 had smallpox. Smallpox contributed to the decline of the Aztec Empire, in what is now Mexico, following the virus's arrival with Spanish conquerors in 1519. More than three million Aztec succumbed to the disease. You can also suggest a primary source set topic or view resources for National History Day. If you click on the source it will take you either to the place in this bibliography, where I cited the source I used most frequently to produce the material. 15 Apr. Primary resources Making of the Modern World: The Goldsmiths'-Kress Library of Economic Literature 1450-1850 Full-text of more than 60,000 books, published from 1450-1850, with a focus on economics in the broadest sense. WHO's successful struggle against smallpox is illustrative of the work it has carried out during its history. Web. Learn about ancient civilisations with National Geographic Kids’ free primary resources, covering KS1 & KS2 History objectives from NC and Scottish C for E. The Codex is used as a primary source on things regarding Aztec culture. As a terrorist weapon, potentially. By around 1400 CE several small empires had formed in the Valley of Mexico and dominant amongst these were Texcoco, capital of the Acholhua region, and Azcapotzalco, capital of the Tepenec.These two empires came face to face in 1428 CE with the Tepanec War.The Azcapotzalco forces were defeated by an alliance of Texcoco, Tenochtitlan (the capital of the Mexica) … In some cases, there are references to different editions of the books I used. What You Need: Cortés in Tenochtitlán worksheet (print and copy) Then again, it's also the source of many fascinating rumors and half-truths, thanks to repression after the Spanish conquest. "The Fall of the Aztec Empire. Locals walk past a mural dedicated to Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes, in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. One of the best primary sources of information on Aztec culture, they served as calendars, ritual texts, almanacs, maps, and historical manuscripts of the Aztec people, spanning from before the Spanish conquest through the colonial era. Introduction to the Source. Smallpox I. 2013. The ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is the source of a flood of fascinating history. Bernardino de Sahagun. ... Primary sources. Smallpox was brought to Mexican lands by the Spanish and played a significant role in the downfall of the Aztec Empire Smallpox and other newly introduced diseases went on to kill tens of millions of Indigenous people in the Americas who had no resistance to the European illnesses. But more importantly, the Aztec chain of command was in ruins smallpox is a remote.... Native American populations with cowpox virus are resistant to smallpox 2012 - still from the Codex! 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