Text 1: Historian Mendoza argues that the Spanish conquest of Mexico succeeded because Hernan Cortes was a brilliant strategist. By forging alliances with the Tlaxcalans, exploiting Aztec religious beliefs, and seizing Moctezuma early, Cortes turned a small expedition into the conqueror of an empire of millions.
Text 2: Historian Aguilar minimizes Cortes's individual genius. Aztec rule, she argues, was deeply resented by tributary peoples; smallpox swept through Tenochtitlan as the siege began; and Spanish steel and horses gave the invaders decisive military advantages. Cortes was competent, Aguilar concedes, but luck and disease did most of the work.
The authors most clearly disagree about which of the following?
- A
Whether smallpox affected the Aztec population.
- B
Whether the Spanish defeated the Aztec Empire.
- Ccheck_circle
Whether Cortes's individual decisions were the primary cause of Spanish victory.
- D
Whether Cortes formed alliances with indigenous peoples.
Explanation
Both agree the Spanish won and that alliances and disease played roles. They disagree on Cortes's centrality. C captures the live disagreement. A, B, and D are not in dispute.