The study of history would be incomplete without the use of theoretical approaches, which historians use to analyze documents and present their evidence. How a historian analyzes a document can shift subtly or drastically depending on the theoretical lens. Social history and cultural history are two separate approaches that influenced a wide variety of other sub-theory categories and many historians today. Though the two may seem similar, cultural history was developed as a response to the limitations of social history, such as the strictness in categories and ignoring the state. In general, social history focuses on ordinary groups and how categories shaped the experience of individuals; cultural history emphasizes beliefs and assumptions, …show more content…
Particular attention is usually focused on the interactions between humans, that can be from different social, economic, or cultural institutions. This method is sometimes referred to viewing “history from below” as social history brought attention to ordinary groups and how they shaped history. Walter Johnson provides an excellent example of how social history is useful in his book, Soul by Soul. Within his book, Johnson approaches his documents as if they are filled with lies, and he seeks to find the truth within those lies. A social historian would approach the report Hidalgo sent to the Viceroy with much caution, as Johnson did with the docket records. Several lies could be within the report; the level of the French threat from the East, the characterization of the Native Americans in contact with the Spanish, as well as the level of urgency to gain more territory within Texas [Tejas]. Hidalgo makes several claims that the French are the most vital threat to Spanish establishment. To combat this issue, he suggests expanding current settlements and alliances with friendly Indians. Hidalgo shifts the reward to the Viceroy, by claiming if he makes moves to protect Spanish territory, he could be relieved of embarrassments and controversies (Hidalgo, 7). Processing this information as a social historian requires a level of doubt in the validity of …show more content…
Slaveholders would enter the slave market with grand fantasies about the prestige and power they would gain after purchasing their ideal slave, but instead leaving disappointed with their slave purchase. Slave buyers were judged by both other white men and by slaves, on how the buyer judged slaves. Using this approach in the report to the Viceroy, Johnson could interpret the fantasies of both the Viceroy, as well as the friar Hidalgo. When describing the Assinai to the Viceroy, Hidalgo ruthlessly claims they are perverted, drunk and idolatrous. Part of his wishes are to convert the Assinai from their “idolatrous” fire-worshiping religion, to Catholicism (Hidalgo, 3). This wish is not unique to Friar Hidalgo, hundreds of missionaries from Spain attempted to convert the Native American populations to Catholicism to save their souls, as well as make them into tax paying subjects of the Crown. However, analyzing this report from the lens of a social historian would beg the question of Hidalgo’s fantasy of the Native Americans. His unflattering remarks of the Assinai’s customs could be to inflate his achievement when he does convert them. If his report is examined as a lie, then there is the possibility that the Assinai religion was exaggerated to exemplify the success of converting them. Another way to look at a fantasy is to consider what the Viceroy thought of the region. He could have had an
Bartolome de las casas had hoped to prevent further harm to Indians, and clarify that they were not barbarians. Of the text named Bartolome de las casas: In Defense of the Indians(c.1550) it covers what is to be the Spanish Conquistadores, and talks of the natives to which at the time seen by many are barbaric, ignorant, incapable of learning, just another group of people to be conquered. But to the Catholic missionaries, they see the Natives as new people to influence and enlighten. But if at any time the person drops the belief in Christianity, they would use deadly force against the person or family. Adding to that, Hernán comments that their cities are “ worth of admiration because of their buildings, which are like those of Venice”(Poole 4).
Looking back into the history of certain events affords the modern researcher the ability to examine a variety of documents and artifacts. It is important, however, to take into account biases, inaccuracies, errors in translation, and overall misinformation when examining primary sources, particularly historical documents. Examining the history of the conquest of the Aztec empire is no different, and in a scenario as tense as it was it is extremely important to consider the authorship of the text. Bernal Diaz’ The Conquest of New Spain and Miguel Leon-Portilla’s The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico offer two distinct looks into the same event in history. Both documents offer differing takes of the same events, so when
This book is considered an American Classic due to its longevity in popular literature. It also provides the important historical background on the Catholic Church and its impact on the American Southwest. Willa emphasizes, through her writings, the hardships of the people involved in making this part of America what it is today. It points out the influence of the earliest Spanish missionaries of the 16th century through the latter part of the 19th century involving French missionaries and exposes the corruptness as well as the dedication of the missionaries of the church. The book’s main setting is in the 19th century, during the settlement of New Mexico and Colorado and recalls the journeys that a priest undertook and the hardships overcame in order to meet his and the churches goal of bringing the Catholic faith to Mexicans and native Indians. Through his travels and the spiritual work in the beautiful, yet rough environment he was radically transformed. He was especially influenced by the experiences of the westward movement of the agricultural frontier because of the impact of the native people.
Bowden’s idea of why this happened focused mainly on the old misunderstood traditions of the tribes living in Mexico. He shows how the friars, churches and icons took the blunt of the revolts force. Bowden points out the religious differences and similarities be...
...erspective to view America’s history from. She does this again when discussing manifest destiny or as she calls it “a doctrine that served to justify expansionist violence by means of intrinsic racial superiority”. in the following paragraph Martinez makes her strongest point saying, “Today’s origin myth and the resulting concept of national identity make for an intellectual prison where it is dangerous to ask big questions about this society’s superiority”. She shows her reader in a sense what the word choice, repetition and examples were meant to have them question, which was superiority in this society, and where did it all start. Through the use of historical events Martinez shows alternative views that oppose the sugar coated tales presented by society, and in so many words ask her readers to question history and motive of what the American Identity actually is.
Finally, when it came down to the types of ceremonies and views both civilizations had, they were on two different pages. The Natives believed happiness was the key to good fortune. So, in order to get that fortune, they’d do sacrifices, and rituals to please the “mighty ones”. Then, as stated in the book “A History of Latin America”, it says, “Jews publicly converted to Christianity to avoid the torture…”, In which, this showed how religion and the spiritual views were forced upon people in the Spanish civilization.
The discovery and conquest of American Indians inspired efforts to develop an ideology that could justify why they needed to enslave the Indians. The Spanish monarch wanted an ideal empire. "A universal empire, of which all their subjects were but servants. Charles V remained for them the dominus mundi, the legitimate and God-ordained lord of the world." (Weckmann, The Transit of Civilization, 23) Gold and religious conversion was the two most important inspirations for conquistadors in conquering America. Father Bartolome De Las Casas was a Dominican priest who came to the New World to convert the Indians to become Christians. He spent forty years on Hispanolia and nearby islands, and saw how the Spaniards brutally treated the Indians and sympathized with them. The Devastation of the Indies was an actual eyewitness account of the genocide by Las Casas, and his group of Dominican friars in which he demonizes the Spanish colonists and praises the Indians. Father Las Casas returned to Seville, where he published his book that caused an on going debate on whether the suppression of the Indians corrupted the Spaniards' values. What Las Casas was trying to achieve was the notion of human rights, that human beings are free and cogent by nature without the interference of others.
The perspective of another society is always subjective, especially when two completely different cultures interact for the first time. In Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s The History of the Conquest of New Spain, the first hand account illustrates a barbaric and pagan society where sacrifices are pervasive in everyday life. However, David Carrasco’s essays titled “The Exaggeration of Human Sacrifice” and “Human Sacrifice / Debt Payments from the Aztec Point of View” shed a significant amount of insight into the religious roles that human sacrifice played in Aztec society rather than the cruel and barbaric connotations which Díaz heavily implied. Based on the readings of Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Carrasco’s essays offered an outside perspective
Las Casas emphasizes on three main issues throughout his account. First, in almost each chapter, Las Casas writes about the luscious qualities of the land and the different indigenous peoples that inhabit them. Second, he explains and describes in detail how the natives were rapidly being massacred by the invading Christian Europeans. Finally, Las Casas discusses how God had brought justice to the Europeans for their diabolical acts upon the natives. Las Casas, a former slave owner himself, realized that those whom he previously enslaved were just as much human and capable of learning and practicing the Christian faith as he was. As a bishop, he realized he could do little for the Natives except document his experiences (in as much detail as possible) and hope that the royal administration would have sympathy for the Natives and establish laws to protect them from the Europeans.
The Americans settled all over the United States and in the 1820s began showing interest in the West because of trade with Asia. Certain leaders were sent out on missions' to "help" better the lives of the Indians and Mexicans. When the white settlers first came to West they viewed the Indians and Mexicans as savages. They did not think of them as human because their lifestyle was unsuitable, or rather different then their own. The only way that they could tolerate them was to try and change their way of living. They attempted to convert them into the Christian religion, to change the way they ate, what they ate, how they ate it, the way they dressed, teach them English, etc. "The object of the missions is to convert as many of the wild Indians as possible, and to train them up within the walls of the establishment in the exercise of a good life, and of some trade, so that they may be able to provide for themselves and become useful members of civilized society."1
Although it may not have seemed fairly difficult in theory, The Pope along with the Crown of Spain set out with the goal to convert the Native Americans. One decisive factor that challenged that decree of conversion was the economic benefits that Spain would receive. This would eventually change the agendas of Spain, and ultimately it would indirectly make those living in the New World choose: Spain or Religion? This was not said in these exact words, but people, especially religious orders would have to choose to fight for what they believed in, or to follow the orders straight from the Spanish Crown.
...ey. Under Investigation for the Abominable Sin: Damian de Morales Stands Accused of Attempting to Seduce Anton de Tierra de Congo. Colonial Lives: Documents on Latin American History 1550-1850. Edited by Richard Boyer & Geoffrey Spurling. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2000.
For example, Bartoleme de Las Casas, a European priest that eventually grew to sympathize with the Native 's sufferings stated that the Natives were “rational, docile, humble, gentle, and simple, who are so well equipped to receive our Holy Catholic Faith and every moral doctrine and who are endowed with such good customs.”6 Furthermore, even the ruthless Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, who conquered the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, noted that praised the Aztec 's civilized way of life by stating “ The manner of living among the people is very similar to that in Spain, and considering that this is a barbarous nation shut off from a knowledge of the true God or communication with enlightened nations, one may marvel at the orderliness and good government which is everywhere maintained.”7 These qualities in the eyes of the missionaries, made the Natives an ideal group for conversion.
...d non historians use these specific accounts in order to understand history better. I would use Diaz’s and Columbus's accounts to tell the specifications of this particular piece of history. I believe that these texts should be used to conclude that the rumored statements about the natives were false, and I would use them as a way to tell someone the truth about the Aztecs. These accounts provide clear and similar insights about these specific natives. Being that they are similar and accurate, historians can ultimately use this information in their studies. Although the Aztecs were believed to be unorganized, unfriendly, and in need of conversion this was not the case. These accounts proved that this early American society was well established, organized, and prosperous. Historians can use these documents to uncover the true insights of this early American society.
To start with anthropology, and outlining the timelines of mankind, one can start cumulating the facts around how humans have evolved throughout hundreds and thousands of years. Using anthropology as a theory of history is the ability to understand the social and cultural behaviors that connect the concept of human culture. As historians there are many benefits from using anthropology, studying the behaviors of human kind and all of its variations is a true...