Prompt for Question 1: The actions of the Spanish Explorers of the 1500-1600s were certainly cruel, gruesome and a dark page in European/American history. The slaughter of the Aztecs by Cortes and the plight of the Incas at the hands of Pizarro are well documented and taught in history courses and written in books, the world over. However, historians of late have began to rethink the way the Spanish contribution to the New World is thought of by historians. This concept is referred to as the Black Legend, stating that historians have only looked at the negatives (genocide, murder, disease, et cetera) that the Spanish brought to the New World while completely ignoring the positive contributions (the majority of the New World has aspects of Spanish culture and religion, new technology and architecture, improved farming techniques, trade for European goods and money).
Question: Do you think the role of the Span's contributions has been unfairly portrayed by historians over time, only showing the negatives and paying little attention to the positives? Why do you think so much attention has been paid to the actions of the Conquistadores like Cortes and Pizarro?
Post a reply to these questions and then respond to at least 2 other students' posts. Please make these responses more than a simple "I agree completely!" and make this a genuine discussion.
Due Date: June 19
P.S. I did get electronic versions of the Chapter Reviews posted and they are on the files page for A.P. American His