the Aztec rebellion against the Conquistadors Formatted
The Aztecs were one of the most powerful empires in the world, stretching across Central America and becoming perhaps the most successful American civilisation in its time. They were a deeply religious society that sacrificed thousands every year, and most of the families within the Aztec society lived a wealthy/happy life. Two main facets of Aztec Culture were Aztec arts and crafts. Aztec art had many uses, but for all its beauty, ancient Aztec art was merely a form of religious expression and a means for paying tribute to their gods. In the Aztec society, the Aztec political and religious systems were symbiotic, and through religious art, mythical and religious concepts legitimised the power of the State. Aztec art, like most forms of ancient art had an artistic language predominantly through the form of iconographic symbols and metaphors, like the Sun, an eagle or a jaguar. These symbols also had their corresponding gods or important people. Images of serpents were linked t o the gods Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli, sometimes Quetzalcoatl, and an eagle or jaguar symbolized the warrior and the sun god. Now for some history - The Aztec civilisation lasted for over 300 years, but for a very long time before that they were merely nomadic and mercenary tribes who aligned themselves with local states to sustain themselves, and many of their pictograms originated from this.
In his article "The populations of France and Quebec", Franois Drieu tries to establish a comparison between the French and the Quebeckers.
WOZNIAK Amandine 10234867 ESLN 400A Monday, December 2, 2002 FOURTH ESSAY CRITICAL THINKING The populations of France and Quebec Vincent Drieu, 1998 In his article "The populations of France and Quebec", François Drieu tries to establish a comparison between the French and the Quebeckers. This reasoning is not completely devoid of sense, on the contrary, it is rather logical. Indeed, French and Quebeckers have a certain common background; French people are still affectionately nicknamed "our French cousins" by the Quebeckers. However, this article is above all characterized by a lack of objectivity. There is absolutely no doubt that the author comes from Quebec; it is also obvious he knows only few things about France. As a French person, my point of view will probably be biased too. But, I think it can be interesting to shed new light on this subject. That is why my essay is built on the necessity of new enlightenment in the comparison between the populations of France and of Quebec. The essay will consist of an analysis of the shortcomings in the form of the article by François Drieu and a correction of misconceptions in its content. . Analysis of the shortcomings in the form: The first criticism can be addressed to the organization of the text. The structure of the article seems effective; it seemed like the author had organized his ideas well: he wants to
America has been blessed with more than her fair share of stellar individuals.
America has been blessed with more than her fair share of stellar individuals - people who have stepped up in a time of dire need and performed above and beyond the needs and requirements of the times. The reason for this, I believe, is that we are such a diverse and varied lot. We come from all types of backgrounds with an entire spectrum of talents and experiences from which to draw. No matter what type of individual the problems of the times require, there is someone in this primordial melting pot of players that will have just the right mix of talents and abilities to fit the purpose. There are the obvious ones, i.e. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln ... the list, of course, goes on. These are intellectuals and patriots who have led us, sometimes by the nose and in spite of ourselves, through the darkest and the most pivotal times in our history. But I am afraid that we sometimes are blinded by their luminescence which causes us to lose focus of the stars which burned perhaps, not quite so bright, or maybe for a shorter period of time. Perhaps the arena in which they worked was not as well known or less exposed to the world, but their work and achievements demand the same accord as their more published cousins. One of these individuals was the famed "Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War's southern campaign. Francis Marion was born in 1732
How far must we consider the Norman Conquest as a Military victory
How far must we consider the conquest a military victory? When the Normans arrived on the shores of England in 1066, it is considered one of the key dates in English history. Even though the country had been subject to the arrival of foreigners for centuries beforehand, it was these invaders who managed to establish a firm government and lineage of kingship that lasts in some respects to this day. While there has often been debate amongst historians as to the causes and effects of the Norman Conquest, it is my wish to establish whether the Conquest rested purely on the military might of these invaders, or whether it was their supposedly new ways of governing England that enabled them to remain in the country on a permanent basis. Whilst there are some who put forward the argument that "the most significant change reflecting overseas movement came in the twelfth century with the government of Henry I, the civil war of Stephen's reign and the reorganization of the kingdom by the Angevin Henry II"1, it is my belief that the Conquest was "not considered complete until 1075"2at the point where it became clear that the Normans would not be overthrown and their rule was accepted by the people. When thinking about the Norman conquest, a great deal of importance is placed around and upon the battle of Hastings and the way in which William I imposed his rule upon the English (such as
'How far did European Society become less religious as a result of the 'Age of Revolutions'?
'How far did European Society become less religious as a result of the 'Age of Revolutions'? The 'age of revolutions' were seen by many and still are, as a time of extreme change, conflict and hostility, perhaps induced or brought about by new changes in thought, interpretation of natural law, religious ideals and the ruling authority/government. The revolutions of Europe furthermore provided large parts of society with the strong and fervent belief that different systems within this world could indeed be challenged and that new ideologies could be implemented and maintained. The French Revolution seemed to usher a new confidence into the common people, with the belief that they could actually change things and that it was possible and maybe even their right to dissociate themselves from the ancien regime, the old and seemingly rigid structure from whence they had come. It is essential to consider the legacy of intellectual movements such as the enlightenment with regard to the effect of secularisation within Europe within the period 1750 to 1850. If indeed the 'age of revolutions' did have an effect upon religious change and conformity, we must not presume that it was simply this one factor that produced this change. Now it is of great importance that we recognise the nomothetic nature of the question, in as far as the question states in one sense an area too vast to be
Account for the pattern of population growth in Europe, 1500-1800
Account for the pattern of population growth in Europe, 1500-1800 In early modern Europe the study of historical demography is beset with pitfalls as it was in a pre-statistical age. However there are means to provide a fairly accurate picture of population growth between the period 1500-1800. Parish records prior to the reformation and land registers are the most reliable forms of demographic data and provide information relating to the population of individual towns. Population growth occurs due to natural increase, which is when there are a greater number of births rather than the number of deaths and also on account of migration. Indeed, population growth with a healthy and fertile population was crucial for a state in the early modern period. If a state was to be economically successful and compete well against other states it had to have a flourishing population. Population growth during the period was unpredictable to say the least. For example, often people were vulnerable to the extremes of environment that would cause famine and as a result the mortality rate would increase meaning there would be population losses. Similarly, disease would have catastrophic effects on population growth given the lack of sophisticated remedies available to combat them. From 1500 Europe's population was still experiencing growth from the period of post Black Death recovery that had
How has the Popularisation of 'history from below' influenced historians studying US race relations?
Prior to answering the question we need to understand where the concept of 'History from below' originated from, and essentially what it means. The phrase is an echelon of historical accounts, that was produced as a ramification of the Annales School, and popularised during the decade of 1960`s. "The Annales School is a school of historical writing named after the French scholarly journal Annales d'histoire Ã(c)conomique et sociale where it was first expounded." 1 History from below attempts to act as a dichotomy to the general 'History from above', which has been the traditional method in which to attain information on the aggregate of past events. It is only a recent modification in the historical realm, before this history was habitually thought of as exclusively an issue of the; political elites, powerful, famous and the wealthy. This shift has led many historians to now consider and utilise information left behind from 'ordinary' people, from various social groups - the marginalised societal groups who were once regarded as insignificant to the course of history. There are a few general points which have led to the increase in the usage of history from below, these are; Historians now want to be more objective and attain the correct and most valid answers as opposed to hearing bias and one sided accounts. This is supported by: "Annales school history is best known for
Canada French: an island in a sea of English.
Canada French: an island in a sea of English The fact of French is the first point to be made about French Canadians. It is a French-Canadian society. It lives, works, thinks, loves French. French Canadians care passionately about their language in ways that English Canadians fail to understand. Some English Canadians say that Quebec French is not real French. It's not the French of Paris, nor the French of Marseilles, nor of Bordeaux. It came, basically, from Normandy in the 17th century. It's Norman French the one used by de Maupassant in his short histories. There are anglicisms that have crept into France which have been rejected in Quebec but however there are lots of English words in French-Canadian and they usually come from North American society. Of course the North American world of English is not just Canada, but the United States. The whole North American continent north of Rio Grande with its power, greed, generosity, all its energy and contradictions, is English-speaking. North American English societies have had such success at assimilating other languages and they have developed almost contempt for others. In the US the principle is of a national melting pot, in which all the immigrant languages are finally melted down into English. The Canadian position, however, is that Canada is a bilingual country. Its English inhabitants don't need to speak
Medieval Viking Tactics
The Vikings were feared warriors and successful explorers of new land because of their long-ships, their employment of the element of surprise, their weapons, and their aggressive nature during battle. The Vikings' reign of terror began in the late 8th century CE and for almost 300 years, these adventurous, violent, and fearless Scandinavian warriors ravage various parts of Europe. In 793 CE, they sacked the Lindisfame monastery in northeast England. They slaughtered the monks before carrying off the booty of silver crosses, chalices, and other treasures. In 795 CE, the Vikings reached Ireland's east coast. Four years later, the Vikings attack the French west coast. By the early 9th century CE, Swedish Vikings were moving through Russia, using the Dnieper River to facilitate their raiding operations. Some Vikings reached Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Viking Long-ship The secrets to Viking raiding success were their long-ships and the element of surprise. Their long-ships could quickly and quietly sail up many large rivers and from the seashore, Viking warriors sprang upon their victims before their enemy could properly prepare for the attack.The Vikings were almost invincible at sea. Ship building and seafaring were their lifeblood, and they even took their ships with them to their graves. Archeological excavations of Viking burials at Oseberg and
Account for the appeal of Cistercian Monasticism in the twelfth century
Eleanor Fell Nick Vincent Account for the appeal of Cistercian Monasticism in the twelfth century Cistercian monasticism was one of the many 'new orders' established in the 12th century during a time of monastic revival. It began when Robert of Molesme, 'a Benedictine abbot of high reputation'1, left his community at Molesme to found a movement that would be true to his ideals of monasticism - living in poverty under the Rule of St Benedict, separated from the secular world, as the early monks had done. He set up the first Cistercian house at Citeaux in 1097, but was forced to return to Molesme, leaving Abbots Alberic and Stephen Harding to run the house, creating an organised order. Despite this, the Cistercian house dwindled in numbers and did not look as if it would survive. However, St Bernard joined the order in 1113, along with many of his brothers, almost doubling the number of monks. Following this, Cistercian monasticism 'grew rapidly to fame'2, comprising of 353 houses in 1151 and 742 in 1675. The question must be raised therefore, just what was the appeal of Cistercian monasticism that caused such an unprecedented growth and interest? Many historians have suggested that the appeal of Cistercian monasticism and the 'extraordinary rapidity and extent of its growth and diffusion... was the work of a single man, St Bernard of Clairvaux'3. He became the abbot
