Since I was at a swim meet from Wednesday-Saturday, my wonderful roomie, Wyatt, filled me in on our class discussion from Thursday so here's my take on Columbus and the Conquest of America.
Todorov was very focused on the role religion plays in the ultimate defeat of the Aztecs. But I can't help but wonder what Todorov left out. There is a large claim that the Aztec religious fervor was the ultimate cause of their downfall. However, the Spaniards also pursued all actions in the name of Christ and Christianity but their actions were largely against the good Christian way. Todorov explicates how the Spaniards searched for power, wealth, and glory while manipulating God's will and teachings in describing their demolition of the Aztecs. The main difference in the way each group uses religion can help describe the way the conquest played out. The Spaniards used God's will as a way of actively spreading Christianity to other place by all means necessary. Because, obviously, here comes Machiavelli (even in religion how ironic), as long as the ends justify the means its ok right? As long as Christianity is spread and persists in the Americas, brutal conquest and bloody war is acceptable right? Contrarily, the Aztecs trusted their gods and religious beliefs so ardently that when the Spaniards came to take over, they 'accepted' defeat because it was all in God's will. Primarily, the main problem is that Todorov largely claims religion created the need to take over the Americas but, the Spaniards were not close followers of Christian values. They were on the hunt for glory, wealth, and power. Those are the motives of defeating the Aztecs- for the large returns back home and the power it would bring them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm Hannah Andress from Atlanta, GA! I am an SIS major and I am on the Women's Swim Team. I am interested in national security, policy making, and the Middle East as my country of interest! Archives
December 2018
Categories |