HIST-209 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Smallpox, Dutch Disease
11 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Spain: hernan cortez: a spanish conquistador, adventurer, explorer. Landed on the mexican coast in 1519 with 500 spaniards. Got an invitation to mexico city, the capital of the aztec empire. A myth that a leader would once return, who was described as a "pale skinned god". Holding the leader captive for 8 months before murdering him and fleeing for their lives, losing some men. Came back and went into the capital and took it again: military superiority --> spanish had the horse and muskets. Horse had gone extinct in the last ice age. Disease --> native populations didn"t have immunity to the diseases such as measles and small pox. Once many populations died out, others were used for labour. Not enough native populations to pay for the labour tax which leads to the import of slaves from africa. Having a majority of spanish blood gave way to privileges. Spain had excessive plantations and ranches and made use of colonies.
