United States History Student Edition

TOPIC ACTIVITIES

• SS.8.A.1.3 • SS.8.A.1.5 • SS.8.A.1.7 FLORIDA SKILLS BENCHMARKS

Apply What You Have Learned

A

Understanding Multiple Perspectives

Many—if not most—of the details known about European exploration come from primary sources. Sometimes the primary source is a journal or diary kept by the explorer. Other times, someone who witnessed the events firsthand kept a record. Read the two excerpts describing the first meeting of Hernán Cortés and Montezuma, the Aztec leader. The first source was written by Cortés. The second source is from Miguel León-Portilla, a twentieth-century Mexican anthropologist who gathered and translated writings made by Aztec who witnessed the fateful arrival of the Spanish. “ [Montezuma] came through the [center] of the street, attended by two lords. . . . [A]ll three were dressed in the same manner, except that [Montezuma] wore shoes, while the others were without them. . . . [A]s we approached, I alighted and advanced alone to salute him; but the two attendant lords stopped me to prevent my touching him, and they and he both performed the ceremony of kissing the ground. . . . At the time I advanced to speak to [Montezuma], I took off from myself a collar of pearls and glass diamonds, and put it around his neck. After having proceeded along the street, one of his servants came bringing two

collars formed of shell fish. . . . When these were brought, [Montezuma] turned towards me and put them round my neck. . . . ” — The Dispatches of Hernando Cortés, published in English in 1843 “ When [Montezuma] had given necklaces to each one, Cortés asked him: 'Are you [Montezuma]? Are you the king? Is it true that you are the king [Montezuma]?' And the king said: 'Yes, I am [Montezuma].' Then he stood up to welcome Cortés; he came forward, bowed his head low and addressed him in these words: 'Our lord, you are weary. The journey has tired you, but now you have arrived on the earth. You have come to your city, Mexico. You have come here to sit on your throne, to sit under its canopy. . . . You have come back to us; you have come down from the sky. Rest now, and take possession of your royal houses. Welcome to your land, my lords!' ” — An Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, by Miguel León-Portilla, 1959 ACTIVITY Creating a News Report After reading the excerpts, write a news report describing the meeting of the two groups. Consider the perspectives of all people in your reporting. Record and share your news report.

B

Understanding Chronology

The Age of Exploration lasted about 100 years and involved many explorers and countries. In most cases, the explorers conducted more than one journey to the Americas as they sought new lands and riches or a Northwest Passage to Asia.

ACTIVITY Creating a Time Line of the Age of Exploration Research and list the major journeys of the European Age of Exploration beginning with Bartolomeu Dias and ending with Henry Hudson’s final voyage. Create a time line that shows at least eight of these voyages in order. Use color and graphics to indicate for which country each explorer sailed. Include short explanations of the significance of each journey.

(l)Cortes, Hernando. (c. 1500). The Despatches of Hernando Cortes, the Conqueror of Mexico, Addressed to the Emperor Charles V, Written During the Conquest, and Containing a Narrative of Its Events, translated by George Folsom. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1843. (r)Leon-Portilla, Miguel, ed.; Lysander Kemp and Ángel María Garibay Kintana, trans. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Beacon Press, 1992.

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Exploration and Colonization