Each week’s discussion questions all pertain to the selected primary sources (ancient sources) that are provided for you within the weekly module. Please make sure that you read through those sources before participating in discussion. Please also make sure that you refer to the ‘Tips for Writing Discussion Posts’ document that has been provided in this week’s module. This will help you understand what makes for a good discussion post. Otherwise, feel free to make your two required posts in response to any of the following questions. You can post twice on your own in response to one question, or answer a couple different questions. You may also post by yourself or in response to another students’ post. The latter helps the discussion actually flow a bit better, but you’re welcome to post in any combination you feel like.
Week 4 Discussion – The Early Modern Period and “Age of Exploration”
1. What kind of things does Hernan Cortez seem concerned to communicate to the king of Spain in his letter about his conquests? How do his interests in Aztec civilization perhaps illustrate the commercial drive of overseas warfare and colonization?
2. What kind of viewpoint do we get, on the other hand, from Bartolome de las Casas and his account of the Spanish presence in the Americas? Are there parts or elements of his account that seem all too simplified? How does he view the indigenous peoples of the Americas?
3. How does the account of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre shed light on the religious divisions and religious violence in Europe in the 1500-1600’s?
PLEASE USE THE SOURCES I ATTACHED TO ANSWER
