If you enjoyed the selections from Prescott’s History of the Conquest of Mexico that we read today in class, here’s a link to the full text at the University of Virginia.
If you’d rather have the 1844 version I used in class, you can get it here at Google Books.
The pages we read in class were [These are Prescott's pages in the 1844 edition] 3-16, 72-79, 83-90, 131-137, 241-246, 378-385 and 396-402.
If you missed class today, you should read the 1520 letter Cortés sent to the King of Spain, Charles V. Here’s the link.
The PowerPoint on Restall, Chapter 4, is up on WebCT.
Be sure to do the Google Earth quizzes before the Friday [10-2] deadline!
This Monday we’ll go back to our old lecture-quiz format. We will do at least one more Google Earth assignment, however!
Two types of downloading problems have caused headaches for students trying to get these files.
Because of this, I’ve pushed the quiz deadline back to Friday at 5pm.
Both problems have easy solutions:
1. When you are offered a choice between “open the file” and “save the file”, chose “save”. [This is almost always a better choice; running a file directly as a download is a good way to get a computer virus]. Once the file is saved, then you can click on it and run it.
2. Your browser may try to download these files as a “zip” folder. You need to over-ride that by changing the last part of the file name.
Make it “.doc” if it is a Word document.
Make it “.kmz” if it is a GoogleEarth file.
Instead of our usual set of four on-line lectures, this week I’m asking you to do the second Google Earth tour of the road from Veracruz to Mexico City. Just like last time, you’ll find the two files [one a Word doc; the other a kmz file to load in Google Earth] under “Class Materials” on our WebCT site.
You can run Google Earth in the library or in the University Hall computer lab. Also, it’s a free program to download at home, but it works best with a fast internet connection.
Later on Monday, there’ll be 4 short quizzes on WebCT over this assignment.
Here are three of the screen-cast tutorials I made for GoogleEarth for a previous class. I post them here in case you’re considering GoogleEarth for either the technology project or the independence project and wanted to get some ideas about what the program can do. If you’re interested, I’d suggest using it for both projects so you can take advantage of your increased knowledge of the software for the second assignment.
Here’s the link to the ArtandSeek.org website I mentioned in class. Please tell me which museum you’re considering by October 14, so we don’t have any duplicates for. Of course you can also choose to do a PowerPoint or GoogleEarth presentation instead.
Questions on Restall, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest
Directions: As you consider these potential test questions, remember that in answering all of them you should also be answering the question: “How does Restall’s book change the way we think about colonial Latin American history?”
1. In his discussion of myths, Restall often ends up writing not about what happened but about the texts [letters, reports, books] that were written about these events. Why and how were these so important in establishing myths? Give specifics.
2. Why did certain myths stick? Consider the Myth of the Round Earth, Myth of the White Conquistadors, Myth of the King’s Soldiers, and the Myth of Completion and give specifics about why these were so tenacious.
3. According to Restall, what were the real reasons the Spanish were able to conquer Latin America? Compare and contrast these to the mythical reasons, specifically the Myth of the White Conquistadors, Myth of the King’s Soldiers, and the Myth of Exceptional Men. Why were these real reasons not enough to eclipse these myths?
4. Compare and contrast Restall’s myth-busting with Mann’s myth-busting. How do the two books contradict each other? How do they reinforce each other? Give specifics.
You can see your grade and, more importantly, download your paper and read my comments on WebCT.
Be sure to save the file!! I’ll use this first test to grade you for improvement this semester.
Here’s the tutorial I’d like you to watch in class. The rest of the material will be on WebCT, however.
I have posted the usual four quizzes on the four 9/21 on-line lectures. I didn’t put them up until Tuesday because I knew you were busy with the test/paper. You can take them any time up to noon on Friday, 9/26.
