Analysis of Articles on The Chichimeca Wars

The Chichimeca Wars have been a major role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. The wars or mini battles between the two sides occurred 1550-1590, after much of the new colony of Mexico had already been established. The Spanish ended up engaging in the longest and most expensive conflict they ever had with Indigenous people. The wars started after the land in which the tribe lived was found to be abundant in silver ore and led to the Spanish establishing mines. The Spanish government adopted a policy of “War of Fire and Blood” which meant the death and enslavement, as well as mutilation of the Chichimeca people. The policy had no effect and failed, instead they decided to make peace with the natives was a better option. The Spanish called this process “peace by purchase”. The Spanish learned from the Chichimeca Wars how to effectively deal with native populations that are resistant to the Spanish settling in the future. This stand by the Chicimeca people is significant to the conquering of the Aztecs as it was one of the last attempts made by a native group to stand up against the invaders that were the Spanish colonizing Mexico.

Overall the article on the Chichimeca Wars is reliable in providing details about the subject. All the major points do have citations from reliable and trustworthy sources, and contains some sources that are scholarly. Trusting the accuracy of information on is a very difficult task. Were too much personal opinion, the article becomes untrustworthy and a source people cannot use. For example the culture section of the Wikipedia page seems to be most reliable section of the page in contrast to the result where the page claims the Indians to be the victors. According to Wikipedia on how its articles are...

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...owell provides the best detail about the wars, however in Poole’s article he discusses Cannibalism that both Powell and the Wiki page decided to leave out. Without this page it would be difficult for people to understand the basics of the Chichimecan Wars and understanding one of the last stands against the Spanish from colonizing Mexico.

Works Cited

Bakewell, P.J. Silver Mining and Society in Colonial Mexico: Zacatecas, 1546-1700. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971. Print.

Poole, Stafford. ""War by Fire and Blood" The Church and the Chichimecas 1585." The Americas 22.2 (1965): 115-37. Print.

Powell, Phillip W. Soldiers, Indians & Silver: North America's First Frontier War.: Berkley:U of CA Press, 1952. Print.

Schmal, John P. "The Indigenous People of Zacatecas." LatinoLA!. , 17 July 2003. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. .