Cole Morse

2/24/14
HIS 392: Conquest and Resistance in Latin America, 1450-1800
Topic #1

During the Spanish conquest of Latin America Hernando Corts and other
conquistadors found themselves in a foreign world that they knew nothing or little about,
this caused various problems such as: food and water shortage. They also knew that they
would not be able to engage in warfare that involved large numbers of indigenous
warriors. These three elements made it necessary for Hernando Corts and the few
Spanish seamen to have some type of communication between them and the Mexica
during diplomatic discussions. In the following paragraphs I will discuss how Hernando
Corts offered the idea of protection to allies, capturing and use of translators, and
kinship to form alliances with opposing forces of Moctezuma. Once Corts establishes
these relationships he then has the manpower to search for gold, resources and initiate
conquest.
I believe it is necessary to discuss the importance of Malintzin and her use in
diplomatic discussions between Corts and Mexica tribes. Corts knew that he needed
some sort of translator to be able to successfully communicate with the Mexica to reach
Tenochtitlan. Malintzin as well as other slave women began learning considerable
amounts of Spanish from a man named Jernimo de Aguilar during the trip from
Putunchan to Mexica. There was one man she and several of the other women could talk
to Jernimo de Aguilar (Townshend, 37). Upon reaching what would eventually be

called Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, Corts ship is approached by some of Moctezumas
messengers. This is when Malintzin first speaks and Corts realizes that he now has the
ability to communicate with the natives and eventually reach Moctezuma. She worked
with Jernimo de Aguilar to translate conversations between Corts and the emissaries
from Moctezuma. Overnight, she was accorded a new level of respect; some of the men
even began to refer to her as Doa Marina, just as they referred to the noblewomen of
Spain (Townshend, 42). Upon establishing Vera Cruz and being rejected to meet
Moctezuma, Corts is approached by Totonacs from a nearby tribe. These men spoke
Nahuatl, Malintzins native tongue. Through conversations with these men, Corts is
enlightened that Moctezuma had neighboring tribes that despised the Mexica. So it was,
after conversation with these men, with Malintzin there not only to interpret but to also
explain, that Corts learned that Moctezuma had enemies or at least highly unwilling
tributaries at his own back door (Townshend, 43). Translation was also a vital key for
the Spanish to sustain food supplies and fresh water during their treks from empire to
empire, Corts lost many men due to malnutrition during his voyages. It was not simply
that the Spanish needed their translators in order to find their way and obtain requisite
food and water. They needed them for far more than this for conquest itself
(Townshend, 58).
Another way that Corts successfully gained important alliances is by promising
protection from Moctezuma and the leaders of Tenochtitlan. Many of the outer altepetls
were over run by the Triple Alliance, which consisted of: Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan and
Texcoco. These three were the most dominant of the Mexica tribes and were the ones that
Corts needed alliances against. After initial contact with the Totonac tribe Corts offered

protection from the Mexica tax collectors that came regularly to collect tributes from the
Totonacs and other surrounding tribes. Over the next two months, Corts worked to
build an alliance with the Totonacs, such that each side would promise to support the
other in war (Townshend, 45). Once protection was offered to these tribes they believed
that they too now had the power to dismantle Moctezuma, then could govern and spend
their revenues, as they wanted. During this time Corts was gaining more manpower,
food supplies, fresh water and guides to usher Corts and the Spanish towards
Tenochtitlan.
One of the oldest traditions of uniting two different kingdoms has been done
through marriage. This has been practiced throughout history and was the exact way in
which tribes of Latin America formed alliances with one another for power and rank.
Once Corts establishes protection from the Mexica for the Totonacs, the chief
automatically sends forth eight women for Corts and his men. This time the women
were not slaves; instead they were the daughters of the chiefs. The king told Malintzin to
explain that he was offering his own niece to the captain as a wife; thus they would
henceforth be kin (Townshend, 45). Through these negotiations Corts successfully
gained the alliance with the Totonacs and had their support during the conquest of
Tlaxcala and Tenochtitlan. Once Corts reached Tenochtitlan and explored the territory,
Moctezuma knew that the Spanish were very capable of destroying and conquering
whatever they pleased. It was not long before Moctezuma took the same approach as the
Totonacs had previously, he sent forth three of his daughters to offer possibilities of
kinship. Moctezuma was apparently covering all possibilities: he was choosing to
attempt to build an alliance in this time-honored fashion (Townshend, 95). These

relations did not make things less stressful on the Mexica or Spanish, but they ultimately
helped Corts and the Spanish reach their ultimate goal: reaching and conquering
Tenochtitlan.
I believe that all three of these factors were very crucial in gaining the alliances
that were needed for Corts and the Spanish to successfully conquer Tenochtitlan and
other empires of the Mexica. The most important in my own personal opinion would have
to be the use of translators. Yes, kinship and the offering of protection were major
components but even these negotiations were not possible without the use of translators.
Without translation Corts and the Spanish would have been dead within the beginning
months of the invasion of Latin America. Translators were very important in finding food
and fresh water during trips throughout the rugged unknown land. In their expeditions,
they were alone in a vast land where they understood nothing and no one; they were
completely reliant on the young victims of kidnapping they had with them or the likes of
Malintzin and accidental translation chains (Townshend, 57).

Works Cited
Townshend, Camilla. Malintzin's Choices, An Indian Woman in the Conquest of
Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006.