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Compare And Contrast Christopher Columbus And Cortes

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Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes were both famous Spanish adventurers during the Age of Exploration. When the explorers came upon land, they encountered two different cultures. In 1492, Columbus encountered the Taino people, and in 1520, Cortes encountered the Aztecs. The two cultures that the men encountered were different in more ways than they were similar in regards to how the natives treated the men, what weapons they had and their war-like behavior, their technologically advancements, their housing and architectural structures, and even their religion. According to Christopher Columbus, the Taino people of the Caribbean Islands that he encountered “were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us” (Journal, page 6). The Taino people were fascinated with Christopher Columbus and his …show more content…

“There was one palace somewhat inferior to the rest, attached to which was a beautiful garden with balconies extending over it, supported by marble columns, and having a floor formed of jasper elegantly inlaid” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter to Charles V, page 4). The workmanship in these homes and temples was something so magnificent that Cortes had never seen before. In comparison, the Taino people were a very uncultivated society and made the best of what they had on the island. As far as religion goes, Columbus said “[The Taino People] have no religion, and I believe that they would very readily become Christians, as they have a good understanding” (Journal, page 8). The Aztecs were quite different. Cortes noted that the Aztec believed and worshipped multiple gods and idols. “Three halls are in this grand temple, which contain the principal idols” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter To Charles V, page 3). Cortes even tried to “divert them from their idolatries, and draw them to a knowledge of God” (Hernan Cortes: From the Second Letter To Charles V, page

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