CORTEZ TAKE HOME ESSAY

150 POINTS/ 30 pts. PER COUNT

REQUIREMENTS—5 PAGES TYPED DOUBLE SPACED OR FIVE PAGES EVERY OTHER LINE HANDWRITTEN. 1 PAGE PER COUNT

GRADING RUBRIC FOR EACH COUNT:

CORRECT SPELLING /SENTENCE STRUCTURE 5PTS.______

ESSAY ORGANIZATION AND SOUND ARGUEMENT 10 PTS.______

THE USE THREE PIECES OF EVIDENCE 5PTS. EACH 15 PTS. ______

YOU MUST ADDRESS ALL OF THE CHARGES IN THE CASE!

YOU ARE TO ASSUME THE ROLE OF FOREMAN OF THE JURY. THE TRIAL YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN IS THE CASE OF SPAIN V.S. HERNAN CORTEZ. THE CASE IS BEING HEARD IN THE COURT OF CHARLES THE FIFTH OF SPAIN IN 1528. THE HONORABLE JUDGE MR. ROSE PRESIDING. YOU MUST PREPARE YOUR VERDICT TO BE DELIVERED TO THE JUDGE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE TRIAL. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YOU MUST WRITE A PERSUASIVE PAPER THAT WILL EITHER SAVE CORTEZ OR HANG HIM. YOUR ARGUMENTS MUST BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SWAY THE OTHER 11 JURORS WHO WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION DURING THE TRIAL. YOU WILL PROVIDE YOUR FELLOW JURORS WITH THE REASONS YOU HAVE FOUND CORTEZ GUILTY OR INNOCENT ON A COUNT BY COUNT ARGUMENT. THE ONLY WITNESS AT THE TRIAL IS A MAN NAMED BERNAL DIAZ DEL CASTILLO—HE WAS WITH CORTEZ THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CONQUEST AND IS THE ONLY MAN THE COURT HAS AS A WITNESS.

CONQUISTADOR AND CONQUERER OF SPAIN HERNAN CORTEZ HAS HEREBY BEEN CHARGED WITH THE FOLLOWING CRIMES.

COUNT #1. DELIBERATELY DISOBEYING AN OFFICIAL OF THE KING’S COURT GOVERNOR VALASQUEZ.

  1. REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CHANGE OF ORDERS.
  2. CREATING THE TOWN OF VERA CRUZ
  3. SENDING A TREASURE SHIP DIRECTLY TO THE KING

COUNT #2. COMMITTING ACTS OF VIOLENCE, CRUELTY AND BARBARITY AGAINST THE INDIAN PEOPLES OF MEXICO.

EXAMPLES OF BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

A. ACTS AGAINST CAPTURED TLAXCALANS

B. THE DESTRUCTION OF CHOLULA

C. THE EXECUTION OF QUAUPOPOCA

D. THE DEATH OF MOCTEZUMA

E. THE ENSLAVEMENT OF INDIANS WITHOUT

CROWN CONSENT.

COUNT #3. REPRESENTING YOUR-SELF AS AN AGENT OF THE KING WITHOUT THE PROPER AUTHORIZATION OF KING CHARLES V.

  1. CLAIMING TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KING

WHEN MEETING FOREIGN PEOPLES

B. CLAIMING TO BE AN AMBASSADOR OF KING CHARLES

COUNT #4 THE WILFULL DESTRUCTION OF 10 SPAINISH SHIPS AND OTHER PRIVATE PROPERTIES.

  1. DESTRUCTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
  2. ENDANGERMENT OF YOUR MEN

COUNT#5 THE MURDER AND MISTREATMENT OF FELLOW SPANISH CITIZENS.

  1. THE ATTACK ON NARVAEZ AND HIS MEN
  2. THE HANGING OF SPANISH CITIZENS
  3. THE NDAGERMENT OF SPANISH CITIZENS
  4. THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF YOUR WIFE

YOU MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO BRING THE FOLLOWING DEFENDENTS BASED ON THE INDICTMENTS BELOW TO TRIAL AND MAKE A CASE FOR AGAINST THEM.

FOR 75 POINTS OF EXTRA CREDIT PER CASE.

THESE MUST BE:

TYPED AND DOUBLE SPACED IN 12 FONT AND BE THREE PAGES

EACH.

La Malinche: Doña Marina, also known as La Malinche, has been charged with AIDING CORTEZ in the murder and betrayal of the Aztec people.

  • Even though Doña Marina may not have personally killed any Aztecs, she translated the indigenous peoples language into Spanish for Cortés so he could convince other tribes to help him conquer the Aztec empire.
  • Doña Marina served as a spy for Cortés by obtaining important information, which allowed him to seize Tenochtitlán.
  • Doña Marina did not belong to the Aztec Empire and may have had personal reasons for seeing the fall of the Aztec Empire. As a non-Aztec, these people were forced to pay tribute (taxes) and made to be slaves.
  • If it was not for Doña Marina's help it is very possible that Cortés would not have been as successful as he was for she was a diligent aide to his cause.

Tlatoani Montezuma: The leader of the Aztec Empire.

  • Because Montezuma believed that the Spaniards were gods, he allowed them to enter the empire peacefully, and be captured by them.
  • Montezuma treated Cortés and his army as honored guests and gave them easy access to his empire.
  • Montezuma had angered many other tribes, therefore, creating many enemies who wanted to see the empire fall.
  • Montezuma's army allowed Cortés to leave Tenotitlán and replenish his army.
  • Montezuma failed to realize that the Spaniards wanted gold for themselves and to take over the empire.