Right so people are always saying and thinkng  that because you have a disability, you cant do anything for yourself. I have a physical disability which affects me walking. This means i can’t walk for very long and i have a possibility of collapsing.

People are always saying to me “you are strong just keep fighting”. What they don’t get it I don’t have an illness, it’s a disability!  I cant fight it because im not going to win. Whatever I do it is here to stay. I hope that one day I can get a little better but then that is setting myself up for a fall. Just because im not fighting it doesn’t mean im just giving in. I am my own person and I want to find my way by myself, not others telling me what I can and can’t do. That actually makes me laugh you have a disability and people tell you this, yet they have nothing wrong with them. How do you know I  cant do something until I try.  Yes i do need a little extra support at time but that doesnt mean i cant work or do anything myself.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Iam one of the lucky ones because there is worse things out there. For those that talk to us who have something wrong with us, please dont talk down to us as it is very offensive. To those that have an open mind thankyou .

Research says that 95% of people in the United States has some form of superstition.  I used to work with a woman that would take those off as personal days because she was so scared.

The number 13 and Friday repeatedly are spoken of in mythology and some religions.

Christians note that 13 people attended the Last Supper, with Jesus before Judas (one of his disciples) betrayed him.  Jesus death was also on a Friday.

Even though he was not a religion or mythical, rapper Tupac Shakur died on Friday, Sept. 13, 1996, after being shot days before.

Powering this fear are the Friday the 13th movie series.  All about some very unlucky events.

Some hotels and high rise buildings skip having a 13th floor entirely.

How was your Friday the 13th?

If you have food in your stomach you are lucky. There’s many people out there who can not afford food. There are people that don’t know where there next meal is coming from. Even kids are going hungry because there families can not afford food. So think next time you take food for granted.

If you have a roof over you head you are lucky. There are alot of homeless people out there that would love to have a roof over their heads even some children are homeless. Not everyone that is homeless have addictions problems either some are just unlucky in finding jobs to support their families. Its hard to pay for rent since its so expensive. The average price for rent is $3,331 in Manhattan. That is really expensive considering the economy and most people of today cant even find a job. So if you have a roof over your head don’t take it for granted you are lucky to have the roof over your head.

These are just some of the few things people take for granted every day that shouldn’t be taken for granted. There’s some people not as lucky as others and do not even have the bare necessities to living. If you have a job be grateful and stop complaining because your not making what you should be making. Be grateful that you have a job and are able to support your families.

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According to Feng Shui, when harmony prevails, all aspects of good fortune manifests: health, wealth and happiness. Lucky objects are beneficial to have, but knowing where and how to place them is even more beneficial.

There are many lucky objects that can be used to attract positive Chi energy and deflect negative Chi energy. Following are examples of some well known lucky objects used in Feng Shui and where and how to place them for most benefit.

DRAGON

The dragon is regarded as the most auspicious symbol of good fortune. It signifies the power of authority. Place it so that it does not look like it is heading towards a door or window.

PHOENIX

The phoenix is a symbol of renewal. It brings opportunities, fame and recognition. Place it so that it is not flying towards a door.

TURTLE

A turtle symbolizes longevity and constancy but as they are slow moving creatures they are not considered suitable for a work environment.

TIGER

A tiger represents bravery and strength. It is best placed in a den or an office. It should not look like it is ready to pounce or have its mouth open.

HORSE

The horse symbolizes power and movement. It is often used by people who would like to travel. It should not look like it is heading for a door or window.

ELEPHANT

Elephants should always have their trunks turned upward, as if trumpeting, to herald good news. They can be placed in the entrance hall, but not directly facing the door.

FORTUNE FROG

The frog (actually a three-legged toad) holds a coin in its mouth and has strings of coins around its feet. It should be placed facing the door to catch the money of passers-by or near a cash register.

LAUGHING BUDDHA

This is a symbol of prosperity and joy. He is usually prominently placed in the living room, dining room or family hall.

AQUARIUM

An aquarium is considered lucky and can bring prosperity into the house. Place your aquarium in areas of your house or room that require activity. Fish can also absorb negative Chi, particularly the Blackmoor variety, which is very sensitive.

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© Copyright J M Lennox. All Rights Reserved.

I don’t care what you think of me.

I do care but I’m gonna act like I don’t care.

You are not smarter than me but I’m not smarter than you.

You are probably thinking the same thing as me but you just don’t want to admit it because you wanna try to be better than me.

In my opinion no one is better than me.

I can get along with anybody’s different opinions because opinions are like assholes everybody’s got one.

Life is just a dream mixed with a shot of reality!

I don’t know everything in this world and I’m not going to act like I know everything in this world.

I’ve just got to grow up and be a man.

I’m not a little kid any more.

It’s been a long time since I was a little kid.

I’m getting used to being alone in this house but it still feels weird without my father being here.

I’ve got to try harder than what I’m trying.

I know I can do better.

I’m not gonna let someone tell me that I won’t get no better.

I should be lucky that I’m not on the street.

I don’t care if I’m nothing to no one.

I am too liberal I don’t even know if I know what that means.

I’m tired but I just don’t want to go to bed yet.

I’ve got so much stuff in my head.

I hope I’m a good guy in other people’s eyes.

Well I’m gonna let you go for now but I hope ya’ll have sweet dreams!

But did you know that some common good luck charms have pretty weird origins?

Take one of the all time favorites – the rabbit’s foot.  Any rabbit will tell you THEY don’t think there’s anything lucky about having their feet summarily cut off, but the origins of the appendage as a symbol of good fortune may make you think twice about rubbing it to gain a little luck of your own.  Early cave drawings suggest that our ancestors thought of the rabbit’s foot as a phallic symbol!  So much for rubbing that thing, right?  A more benign view of the foot’s value was that of the Celts, who believed that because the rabbit spent so much time underground, it must be in secret communication with the under world and therefore knew a whole lot more about what was going on than humans did.  That doesn’t seem to work well for ostrich’s digging their heads in the ground, but the Celts were a long way from Australia.

Ok, so you’ve dropped the old rabbit’s foot and are looking for something with less of a sexual history.  There’s the horseshoe of course and although it doesn’t portend to have any gender-specific background to its claim of good fortune, it does have a devilish story to tell.  It seems that around 959 A.D., the gentleman who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Dunstan by name, was a blacksmith by trade.  One day a guy with strange feet approaches him; feet that were cloven (hint, hint).  Dunstan was quick to realize whom he was dealing with.  When his visitor asked him to put horseshoes on his weird feet, Dunstan came up with a plan.  He agreed, but proceeded to make the procedure as painful as he could, even getting the fellow to agree to being tied up during the process.  While in that vulnerable position Dunstan got the devil to agree never to enter a home that had a horseshoe above the door.  Perhaps the devil could have used a rabbit’s foot that day.

For the Greeks, on the other hand, the horseshoe was thought to be magical because it was made of iron, an element they believed could fend off evil.  And, during the Middle Ages, it was believed that witches traveled on brooms because they were afraid of horses with horseshoes – to them it was the same as a crucifix in the face of Count Dracula.

Still not happy with your good luck choices?  Well, there’s always the wishbone – or maybe not.  Using a wishbone to make a wish goes back in time about two and a half thousand years.  It originated with the Etruscans (Italy) who believed chickens could predict the future.  I guess those birds never heard of Colonel Sanders and couldn’t predict his arrival.  But, the Etruscans thought that since the hens told of their own eggs’ arrival by squawking that was good enough.  For roosters, they announced that dawn was arriving so that apparently was enough for the Etruscans to believe the roosters were in the know.  When the birds were killed (so much for being in the know), their collarbone was put in the sun to dry, later to be picked up and wished upon (but not broken – that was a ritual later added by the Romans).

How about a charm that comes with the luck of the Irish – the four-leaf clover?  Well, it has a somewhat grisly history that originated with the Druids who would gather in the forest several times a year to make sacrifices (yes, human) and settle disputes.  At the end of their ceremonies they would gather mistletoe and clover, which they believed, could maintain harmony among their families.  Apparently, those who were sacrificed were excluded from good luck or familial harmony four-leaf clover or not.

So, we’ve run the gamut of good luck charms and their less-than-luck-filled histories.  Isn’t there anything that isn’t drenched in a history of blood, sex or the devil?  Sure there is.  Try crossing your fingers.  Although it emanates from a pagan belief that a cross was a symbol of unity and that good spirits dwelled in the intersection of the two fingers, at least no animals (or humans) were harmed in the making of this legend.  I guess that’s a PG rating in the good luck charm business.

 I own met innumerable mortals over the last unit of elderliness connections my field line of donkeywork, stammering cognition, and have heard a couple of remarkable stories of how they narrowly avoided a terrorist rush. 

The key was a man who was effect Unused York at the spell of the outbreak on the twin towers. He and his friends from England had been drag Untouched York for around a month and were due to fly back internal on September 11th. On the tenth of September they decided to drive to the twin towers, firstly to keep a glom and secondly to proceeds some photos from the top. 

They had to wait a spread out day until material was their turn to purchase their tickets. The man who was practical delayed the unrelated asked the a problem: ” Are you here to booty photographs lads, or uncolored a general keeping watch around? If you are here to gate photographs firm might epitomize worth waiting until tommorrow, over firm is completely cloudy up slick today. I charge sell you the tickets today, thence when you show tommorrow you make ready not have to wait etc. “ 

They agreed this was a admirable notion and planned to return early direction the morning. 

 ” What shall we pull off pdq whence ” verbal one of the association of lads. 

They discussed the options and decided to vitality to a bar and to have a few drinks. A few drinks turned into a lot of drinks. In the morning they all slept in to recover from the alcohol and when they awoke they quickly heard the news. 

Alcohol had possibly saved their lives. 

I met another man who had been in Bali on the night of the terrorist attack there. He and his girlfriend had planned to meet another couple in one of the bars which was eventually bombed. 

Earlier in the day the couple had phoned to cancel as one of them was ill. Another lucky escape!

The superstition of friday the 13th has spread so much that some cities do not have a 13th street. The Turks were one of the few that despised the number 13, they didn’t even record it as part of their vocabulary! At one time, it was said, that some buildings did not have a 13th floor! 

Unlike these myths, the chinese and pharaoh’s in ancient Egypt considered 13 a lucky number. 

Here are some things that have happened on Friday the 13th (www.hauntedbay.com):

- 1951- In July, there was a massive flood in Kansa that destroyed millions of acres of farm land, killed 24 people, and did over $750 million worth in damage. 

- Tupac Shakur, a famous rapper, was shot and murdered on Friday the 13th in Las Vegas.

- Al Capone, a well known figure, was sent to prison on Friday the 13th.

- 1964- On good Friday, there was one of the largest earthquakes that ever took place in North America. It killed over 130 people.

- 1992- in March there was a huge earthquake in Turkey that killed over 2000 people and left around or maybe more than 50,000 homeless.

- Also known as “the king of swing”, Benny Goodman passed away on Friday the 13th.

- The 38th vice president of the Unites States, Hubert Humphrey died on Friday the 13th. 

Here are some of the many superstitions:

- If 13 people ever sit and have dinner together, at least one will die before the end of that year. My question is that, lets say that 13 people have dinner together on December 31 at 11:55 pm, does that mean that one of the 13 people might die in 5 minutes.

- If you have 13 letters in your name, first and last name combined, you are said to have “Devil’s luck”.

- There is said to be 13 steps leading to a gallows, where people are hanged. 

- Formula 1 racing, encountered several car crash deaths in cars numbered 13 and therefore no car is numbered 13 in Formula 1 racing.

- Many people known as vicious  murders today had thirteen letters in their name: Saddam Hussein, Charles Mason, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and more.

There are many more superstitions and interesting things but most of the myths are too unreal which is why I will not write them. DO YOU THINK FRIDAY THE 13TH is UNLUCKY? Comment below and tell me why.

LIKE and COMMENT, give me feedback, it really helps me out. Tell me in a comment below if you would like me to post more on any relating topic and I would be happy to. 

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It’s Friday the 13th. Let’s talk about some scary things linked to this “scary” day. Before that, let me first tell you one observation you may not be aware of. From 2006 to 2015, the average number of occurrences of Friday the 13th is 2. This day appears 1 – 3 times a year. This year, Friday the 13th happens on May and by year 2012, there will be 3 Friday the 13th‘s. What is so big deal of this day? Oh, it is such a BIG deal that “Friday the 13th“became one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. This movie became a pop culture. The fear of this day became literally popular that it got its own phobia called friggatriskaidekaphobia.

Friday alone is believed to be unlucky while the number 13 alone is believed to be a devil’s number. Even in modern days, people especially businessmen tend to treat this number differently. Buildings mostly don’t have 13th floor and room number 13. It may just be a superstition but history shows a lot of incidents that linked to Friday the 13th as an unlucky day. For Christians, Jesus died on Friday and during Jesus’ last supper, there were 13 people around the table.

The following are some superstition related to Friday, 13 and Friday the 13th I used to hear from my old folks:

1. Bathing on Friday is prohibited. If you bath on Friday, especially on the 13th of the month, you’ll get sick. The evil force is at its strongest force on during this day. Oh, I feel sick if I don’t bath. Perhaps the devil gives me an exception.

2. Cutting fingernails on Friday brings bad luck to your health.

3. Cutting hair on Friday is like a curse to your family. It will result to the death of a member of the family. Does this mean, barbershop and parlor shops have to be close on Fridays?

4. Trips should not start on Friday. It will result misfortune. What about those out-of-town seminars on weekend? Does it mean I need to rush on the day itself?

5. No business shall be opened on Friday or else it will surely fail.

It is for you to believe if this day is indeed an unlucky day. I believe everyday is a lucky day. Luck is not something that simply happens due to what other matters dictate. It is something that should emanate from each person. I know I can be lucky if I feel lucky. You must feel that too.

  In 1519 Hernan Cortes and about six hundred soldiers, traveled to Mexico, and defeated a highly advanced Aztec nation; whose population historians have estimated as high as twenty five million people. How was Cortes able to defeat the Aztecs with only six hundred men?  Was it advanced technology, despite earlier defeating the Tascala indeans who were armed with copper weapons? If so, then how could they fail to defeat the small forces of Cortes?The Aztecs were able to beat the Tascala, who used copper weapons.  Was it disease?  Despite a small pox epidemic that devastated the population, the Aztecs should still have had sufficient numbers to defeat Cortes and his men.  Was it culture?  Culture tends to be an overlooked aspect of the Conquest as a major reason for the sucess of Cortes.  However, how can it be that conflicting ideologies allow for the defeat of an entire empire by the hands of roughly six hundred foreigners?

            Cortes’ conquest was made possible by a combination of three factors (technology, disease, culture), as well a stroke of luck on where Cortes was able to land, to its significance to the Aztec religion.  Cortes would not have been able to win against the Aztecs without these factors and without the help of the other native groups under the control of the Aztecs.  The Spanish had the advantage in everything except in numbers for this military campaign.  In the early sixteenth, guns were not a major killing factor, and Cortes only came with about thirteen harquebuses.  Harquebuses were extremely heavy, inaccurate, and slow to fire as well as to reload.  They were only effective in large numbers to any damage.  Instead, the weapons that were able to create the most impact were the long steel swords and pikes of the Spanish.  The Spanish weapons were able to cut through and reach out farther than the Aztec’s short, blunt weapons of stone. They were definitely stronger then the Aztec weapons made of stone and wood.  The Spanish were also able to use their horses (quick, large, and considered the tanks of their time) as weapons of fear and terror against those who had never seen a horse before. Furthermore, they were prepared to deal with siege warfare, bringing about fourteen cannons; through the campaigns course, more would be constructed.  The Aztecs would not be able to prepare for this type of warfare as they did not have the equipment and because siege warfare was not used in Aztec culture.  The reason being, the Indian wars of Mesoamerica, were ritualized, and siege warfare is anything but ritualized, because it brings about death to bystanders as well as the enemy.  That brings the Spanish to almost being able to claim a greater military culture in comparison why the Aztecs, in their ability to adapt. 

            The Spaniards had just defeated the Moors from Spain in the Reconquista and were the best trained soldiers during this point in history.  Their ability to read and write was also a major factor in always keeping Cortez’s entire army organized. Also, a major cultural difference, the Spanish weapons were built to kill; in comparison, the Aztec weapons were built to wound so that they could sacrifice prisoners to their gods. Neither did the Aztecs have the competition between states as the Spaniards had and thus only had to strive to keep those underneath of them in check.  When the Aztecs faced the Tascala, the Tascala used copper weapons against the Aztecs and killed many, but in the end were defeated.  The Aztecs had a large overall feeling of ethnocentricity that dated back to the beginning of their nation, believing that they were invincible.  Even, when at a technological disadvantage, they always had the greatest amount of men on the battle field, a factor that would always lead their armies to victory. 

            In addition, disease was a critical factor to the ability of Cortes to defeat the Aztecs. Over one third of the people of Technotitlan died from disease during the siege. The loss of people slowly eradicated the Aztecs from the inside out, lowering defenses of the amount of people who could defend.  As the new world was considered a virgin land, many common diseases of Europe were epidemics and extremely fatal to the indigenous population of the new world.  Finally, another factor that led to the defeat of the Aztecs was the Indian allies of Cortes. With them Cortes was then able to have numbers strong enough to defeat the Aztecs.  It has been said in many historical documents and books, that without the crucial support of the Indian allies, Cortes would have most certainly lost.

            To understand the conquest it is important to understand the people who brought about the extraordinary event in history.  Hernan Cortes came from a humble background, and was educated at the university of Salamanca (Thomas 479). He was considered an ambitious man who sought to raise his social status in the New World and hoped to someday rise up and be governor there prior to sailing to Mexico.(Thomas 480). Cortes served under Diego Velazquez as his secretary for four years from 1506 to 1510.  He then became the magistrate of Santiago from the years 1516 to 1518.() 

            Most of the men who served under Cortes during their expedition to Mexico had experience fighting but were not officially trained or organized(Restall 33). The organization of the Spanish soldiers fighting in the New World was classified into two groups; those on foot and those not on foot.  The ranking of the soldiers was also similar; captains and non captains. They came of their own free will, not promised anything but seeking riches and glory; some of them were sincerely earnest to teach Christianity to the native people.  For some, the money that they might receive was to be sent back to spain for their families for various purposes. 

            Cortes was originally sent to Mexico to meet up with another conquistador, join forces and to bring back some Christians who were being held at the Yucatan peninsula (Prescot 137).  Upon successful completion the mission, Cortes was supposed to trade with the natives in that area, and begin to attempt to convert the Indians of the Yucatan. However Velázquez had canceled the expedition due to his suspicion that Cortes was not dutifully loyal to him (Conquest of the Aztec Empire, 2). Cortes found out about Velázquez’s plans to cancel the mission, and set off earlier just before he would have been told about the cancellation. He had no intention of following the mission, having heard earlier of a great Indian empire just outside the Spanish reach in Mexico. Cortes sought to find it and make it part of Spain, and to increase his own social status.  Later the conquest of Mexico would become life or death for him, in that the conquest of the Aztec empire would allow him to be exonerated by the Spanish crown for treason and insubordination (Conquest of the Aztec Empire 3).

            On his journey to Mexico, Cortes brought with him eleven ships, carrying one hundred thirty mariners, five hundred and fifty foot soldiers, and sixteen horses (Prescott  137). Of the five hundred and fifty soldiers, there were thirty two crossbowmen, thirteen harquebusiers.  And  ten heavy pieces of accompanying artillery and four pieces of light artillery.  From the landing on Mexico and after, Cortes would become the model of conquistadors that followed after him(Restall 19).  All of his moves and strategies were widely used. One of his most famous moves was upon landing; he scuttled all of his ships but one, which was grounded.  Traditional history showed this as a dramatic burning of all of his ships, but either or, this act left a message to his troops that there was no turning back, and they would have to trust Cortes to pull them through.  This also left reinforced another tendency of the men of the conquistadors, that the men were more loyal to their own local commander than to the crown of Spain(Thomas 484). 

            Shortly after landing in Mexico, Cortes met with the Aztecs. Montezuma the Second received word of the strangers’ arrival. He was forced to make a choice on what to do about these strangers.  There were three different possibilities on who the strangers were: invaders from a far away land, traders wanting to observe the Aztec culture, or immortals, Cortes being the god Quetzalcoatl, returning to his people.(Conquest 181)  Each had plausible reasons for concern, forcing a difficult decision by Montezuma and council each.  If Cortes was an invader, the men were well armed carrying weapons that they had never seen before.  If so, the Aztecs would hardly see them as a threat, strongly believing that they were the greatest nation in the universe(Spanish American Empire 139).  However, this lack of numbers would also suggest that they were on a peaceful mission to study.  Lastly, Cortes would have been thought to be their god Quetzalcoatl.  At this time, many of the prophesies of the return of Quetzalcoatl were appearing.  At the time of Quetzalcoatl’s return, the island of Technotitlan was to flood during fair weather, an unexplainable conflagration would consume the temple of the sun, comets would appear in the night sky, and the peace of Technotitlan was to be disturbed every night by a woman wailing in the night (Palfrey 3).  These events were to be signs of the god’s return.  Cortes also appeared to resemble the god from the beard and the lightness of his skin.  Secondly, the Aztecs had never seen horses or harquebus before.  The final straw was where the god was supposed to return, which was at Vera Cruz, where Cortes happened to land.(“Tenochtitlan” )  All of the signs of Quetzalcoatl’s return tied the hands of Montezuma, because although he did not trust the strangers, if they were in fact immortals, he might be punished for not welcoming them.  Despite beliving that the were the strongest power in the universe, the one thing that the Aztecs would fear being stronger than they, would be a god.  Montezuma tried to bribe Cortes to leave, by sending all sorts of gold, golden jewelry, and other valuables.  However, this would only spur on the Spanish desires for more gold from the Aztec nation.

             Cortes faced many Indian groups hostile to the Aztecs on the way to Technotitlan.  The other Indian groups believed Cortes and his men were hired agents of the Aztecs and attacked them (Mann 129).  Cortes defeated them though outnumbered, with the Aztecs watching.  However, the Indian nations that he fought would soon become a necessary ally for the conquest of the Aztecs. 

            Upon entering Technotitlan, the Spanish were astonished and in great awe of the magnificant city and the numbers that inhabited it ( Elliot 84). Cortes remarked that it rivaled any city in Europe at that time (Williams 106). 

            The first meeting between Cortes and Montezuma would be the first cultural clash between  the two nations. Each side was filled with tension about what lied ahead (Restall 141).  Both sides had some instances of communication and miscommunication on their initial meeting.  Both Cortes and Montezuma were able to show respect and peaceful intentions, but failed to find an overall common ground (Restall 142). These cultural differences would play a key role in the Aztecs defeat.  First of all, the Spaniards believed that the Aztec religion and culture was barbaric. The sacrifices brought fear into the hearts of the conquistadores, never knowing when they might one day be taken for a sacrifice to the Aztec gods (Grant 169). This fear would manifest itself through the Spaniards actions, in taking Montezuma hostage and using him as a puppet ruler even though Montezuma had no intention of harming them; in fact he had already pledged allegiance to Spain.

             Later on Velázquez sent one thousand soldiers to capture Cortes (Conquest of the Aztecs 3). Cortes was able to ambush, capture, and use the sent soldiers to increase his own forces. He had now committed crimes of both treason and insubordination; it was now essential for Cortes to take over the Aztecs in order to clear his name. However, upon Corte’s arrival back into Technotitlan, he found that his men were besieged inside the city, for firing on defenseless people during a religious festival (Letters from Mexico 132).  While inside the city, Cortes attempted to put Montezuma on the rooftop where they were being held to regain the peace.  This did not work, for Montezuma was killed by injuries due to a rock thrown, which was thrown at his head, most likely by his own people. After the death of Montezuma it was critical that Cortes was able to escape the city (Letters from Mexico 132).  He left at night, but a woman shouted, alarming the Aztecs of Corte’s escape (Grant 166).

            During the escape from Technotitlan, the Spanish lost over half their forces, and a significant amount of Indian allies.  The escape from Technotitlan was called Noche Triste, for the amount of lives lost, and because according to legend, after Cortes had escaped, he went under a tree and cried.(Elliot, 140)  Noche Triste was the largest Spanish loss in the overall conquest of the Americas (Rivers of Gold 488). As well as Cortes’ Spanish that were killed, other of his native allies were also killed.  Cortes lost over a thousand men so that he was left with the same amount of soldiers as he began with.  As the Spanish fled Technotitlan, they were forced to throw away most of the gold that they had taken from Technotitlan which has never been recovered. Cortes lost for several reasons. The Spanish were fighting defensively in a closed area, and thus not able to use the horses for their advantage (Grant 166).  Also, as both Cortes and Bernal Diaz mention in their letters and books about Mexico, every time the Spaniards would kill a person, two would take their place (Elliot 133). The battle of Noche Triste shows that the Aztecs could in fact defeat the Spaniards in battle.  Although the situation never showed itself again, it still proves that the Aztecs were not completely destroyed by advanced technology alone.  The significance of the escape of Technotitlan had more importance then the fact that Cortes was able to escape to fight another day.  Cortes may or may not have realized it, but his escape from Technotitlan would greatly effect the Indian nations surrounding Technotitlan and the Aztecs.  It is important to note how other natives would have viewed Technotitlan.  The Aztec capital had temples where the Aztecs had sacrificed many of their people to their gods, believing it was necessary to keep the cosmic order of the universe(Spanish American Empire 140). 

            Most of the Indians believed that Technotitlan was inescapable once inside to an enemy group.(Diaz, 322)  The idea that Technotitlan was impenetrable might possibly had arisen from the fact that many of their own soldiers who had gone in and were sacrificed, never to return.  The importance that came from Corte’s escape was that Technotitlan lost its illusion of impenetrability.  It showed that the Aztecs were not as indestructible as they believed.  The Aztecs ruled their empire with an iron fist (Spanish American Empire 140). It has been said that even if Cortes had not appeared in Mexico, the Aztecs would have shortly fallen by other Indian groups eager to get out from under Aztec rule.  The Indians would have helped anyone brave enough to go against the Aztecs.  Cortes, his expedition, and the escape from Technotitlan were the triggering events to the demise of the Aztecs.  This can also, be seen in how many Indian warriors would have joined Cortes by the siege of Technotitlan some months later.  In light of this, it could almost be seen that in a larger aspect of the Corte’s victory over the Aztecs and why so many natives joined his cause The Spaniards defeat could be seen as a victory in how it affected the minds of other Indian nations already hostile toward the Aztecs.  In effect, the aura of invincibility of the Aztecs, was lost forever.

            After retreating from Technotitlan, the Spaniards and the remaining Indian allied force were able to reorganize and fight the Aztecs at the battle of Otumba.  During this battle, weapons were a major contributing factor for the Spanish to win.( Diaz, 320)  Bernal Diaz stated that the amount of people that they were fighting was the largest he had ever seen.  He then writes on how effective the swords, pikes, and horses were in enabling them to achieve victory (Diaz 321).  Spanish estimates give that the Spanish faced two hundred thousand Aztec soldiers, and killed over twenty thousand (Grant168). It would be reasonable to say that the numbers were bloated, seeing that most of the evidence of the events in the Mexican campaign were written by the Spaniards who fought although most sources, including these here, including both accounts of Cortes and Bernal Diaz, these numbers have been written as fact. 

            Beside weapons being a factor to Spanish victory, there were cultural differences and tactical errors, due to the Aztec’s ignorance of the Spaniards, which allowed them to fail.  First, the Aztecs believed that they would be able to defeat Cortes solely with their seemingly infinite numbers (Grant 166).  The fighting style of the Aztecs was centered on individuals, who hoped to rize through the social ladder by obtaining sacrificial victims.  The Aztecs were not organized in their methods in fighting the Spaniards.  Also, after Cortes got away, the Aztecs barely chased Cortes out of the valley of Mexico (Diaz 321). They pushed Cortes out and believed that Cortes would not return back to Mexico.  The reason why is uncertain, but they probably felt that they had already showed their strength to him and there would be no reason for him to return. 

            To the contrary, Cortes had every reason to return.  He had earlier sunk all of his ships and he was wanted for crimes against the crown, including treason and insubordination.(“Hernan Cortes”)  Cortes and his men had nothing left to loose, and everything to gain.  Also, the prodestant reformation was boiling over, and the muslims were pushing into Vienna, during Cortes’ expedition against the Aztecs. Besides attempting to be exonerated by defeating the Aztecs, he would also bring great fame to himself and a place in history.  His forced retreat out of Mexico would force Cortes to devise a new strategy for victory when he would return again into the valley of Mexico.

            During the next several months, out of Aztec reach, Cortes healed battle wounds and recruited more men for what would be his final attack upon the Aztecs.  Most of the Indian allies of Cortes were willing to fight for him to get out from under the power and control of the Aztecs (“Spanish American Empire”, 141).  As has been stated earlier, most, if not all of, the Indians hated the Aztecs and were willing to help anyone willing to fight them (“New Worlds: Americas and Oceania”).  It is often agreed by historians, that without the support of the native allies, Cortes would not have been able to win. In the spring of the next year, Cortes returned to the valley of Mexico.  As Cortes entered and headed into Technotitlan, he would fight other city states controlled by the Aztecs (Rivers of Gold 488). By doing this, he gained even more allies and men willing to fight against the Aztecs.  These battles tremendously hurt the Aztecs militarily, politically, and lowered their morale.  Politically this was disastrous for the Aztecs because it showed that they were not invincible and that they could not control all of their lands (Diaz, 321).  This would make it more of a temptation for other nations to rise up against the Aztecs, who were despised because of their rule of fear.  Also as the moral of the Aztec soldiers and people would be affected, they were affected more by the cultural war that was being fought against them (Conquest185).  For the Aztecs, warfare was ritualized, meaning that the battles were always announced ahead of time (Spanish American Empire 141). Also, the Aztecs aimed to wound for sacrifices, and fought during the day.  Cortes fought at any time anywhere, and all that fought with him were most certainly fighting to kill as well as to stay alive to avoid being taken prisoner for a sacrifice.  Furthermore, the idea of fighting a real war to the Aztecs hurt their moral as well.  Most times the Aztecs fought “flower wars” which were battles fought only to show fear and gain sacrificial victims(Grant 164).  When fighting a “flower war”, the Aztecs would always win, mainly due to their massive military force (Spanish American Empire 141). As the losses mounted, there would be a psychological effect on the Aztecs, because they had always believed that they were the greatest warriors on the universe, and yet were being beaten throughout their empire.

            After a series of battles throughout the Aztec empire, Cortes went about to besiege Technotitlan.  Cortes was able to block the three causeways into the city.  Cortes ordered that thirteen brigantines were to be made for the siege (Rivers of Gold, 488). A brigantine is a small ship with a mounted cannon on the top of it.  Cortes built the brigantines in other villages, brought them to the lake on which Technotitlan was built upon, reassembled them and let them into the lake (Grant 166). In addition, Cortes needed to dig several canals in order to release the ships to begin with (Cledinnen 90).  The ships were built to attack the building tops so that when Cortes attacked the city no one would be able to attack them from above (Conquest, 186).  Siege warfare was also unheard of in Mesoameric, as displayed by the actions of the emperor, Quauhtemoc.  The emperor of Technotitlan gathered weapons into the city prior to the siege, but neglected bring in food and water (Conquest 186).  Here again culture played a crucial role for Cortes to defeat the Aztecs.  Also, the Aztecs had not seen or used boats as weapons before.  They used the boats for transportation only.(Conquest 185)  The siege of Technotitlan would last about ninety three days, from May to mid August.(Raudzens 411)  To the bitter end, the Aztecs did not surrender and continually fought viciously.(Cenninden 90)  In fact Cortes remarked that he was saddened by their determination to die.  He hoped that they would surrender so that he could spare the city.  However, the Aztecs would not give in and Cortes had to use everything to win, including reducing the city to rubble.

            Finally, during the siege of Technotitlan, disease would tremendously hurt the Aztec fighting force physically and phycologically. During the siege, there was a tremendous small pox epidemic inside Technotitlan.(Mann 129)  About one third of the Aztec population would die from it.  Crosby states that most virgin soil epidemics were from normally non fatal diseases that the native population has never been exposed to before and ravage the land for generations.(Crosby 294)  Crosby also stated that it was probably more than just small pox, but small pox and other diseases such as the common flue, dysentery, and measles that desemated the Aztec population.  Whatever the case of what disease it was or its long term effects, for now it is important to know its important short term effects during the siege.  The epidemic destroyed one third of the population and therefore crippled the defenses of the city in man power to defend against the Spanish.(Mann, 129)  It allowed for a systematic destruction of the Aztecs where people would die every day without the need of attack.(Mann, 130) The Aztecs were being destroyed from the inside out.  Despite this, the Aztecs continued to sacrifice people as they always had, but due to lack of people, the Aztecs intensified the practice, increasing the goriness of the ritual.  This was most likely done to gain favor from other gods, to help them defeat Cortes and his men.

            The Spanish have also, been credited to having a literal advantage against the Aztecs.  The literal advantage was the ability for Cortes to write notes to the rest of his forces, organizing them however he needed them without need of word of mouth.(Rivers of Gold, 490) Cortes could easily communicate to his men on how to prepare for a battle, and was able to coordinate it by giving them times to come in and how to attack.  Bernal Diaz remarked on how Cortes was always writing to people about what to do.(Diaz, 391)                           It is important to note, that Cortes was known to be extremely gifted at writing and orating.(Inga, 94)  With this still, Cortes was able to make his commands clear to his other captains. 

            During mid August, after ninty two days of being daily attacked and bombarded, the great captital of the Aztecs, Technotitlan fell to the Spaniards and his Indian allies.  The empire of the Aztecs had fallen and would become the foundations of new spin.  On the day that Cortes made his final push into the city, the Aztecs finally gave way, and over a hundred thousand Aztecs were killed that day.  The Aztecs fought bravely throughout the siege, capturing many and at one time supposedly captured Cortes.(Battle, 169)  Cortes was rescued by his other captains, but there is not much evidence of the accuracy of this event.  Cortes would however, try to get the Aztecs to surrender peacefully throughout the siege.(Inga, 83)  The remaining temples that remained in the city and the palaces were destroyed.(Battle, 168) The city was utterly destroyed. 

            After the conquest of the Aztecs many changes occurred in the new world and in Spain.  Cortes was exonerated of his crimes and was a hero.(Inga, 95)  tragically for Cortes’ allies, the Spanish rule would not be much better than the Aztec rule over them.  Corte’s victory would bring to Spain the largest amount of land obtained by a single person.(The Conquest of the Aztec Empire 3)  Also, from Corte’s victory, he would become a future model of how to fight in the Americas, and a standard of tactics in the new world.(Restall 19)  This is visible from the conquest of the Incas, by Francisco Pizzaro.  He also scuttled his ships when he arrived on the shores of the new world. He would also obtain many Indian allies hostile to the Incas, and with a small force defeat a large stable empire.  As the Spanish were always outnumbered in the new world, Indian support was crucial for the conquest of the Americas in the creation of new Spain.  The rest of Europe at that time would use the story of Corte’s conquest of the Aztecs to further prove their dominance in the world.(Clendinnen 66)  The information has been studied since to understand how it was possible for such a small force was able to take down a colossal empire, which is still continuing to be analyzed to this day.

            The new world had both positive experiences and negative experience from their contact with the Europeans.  The Europeans introduced horses and the concept of the wheel to the new world.(Mann, 222)  The horse was brought over directly by Europeans, but not the wheel.  During Corte’s campaign, Cortes had to transport heavy object like cannons, and pieces of the brigantine around, and through this, the idea of the wheel was spread.  The Indians had known of the wheel, but had never thought to use it for transporting heavy materials to different areas.(Mann, 222)

            The downsides to the conquest can be seen through political, economic, social, and cultural spectrums.  Politically, the Indians who helped Cortes and other conquistadors  would not gain any power in the New Spain racial hierarchy.
((“New Worlds: Americas and Oceania”)  Although this is a social issue, it also prevented the natives from ever having power or position in new Spain because of their race.  As already stated, the Indians lost out socially because Spain’s empire had a racial hierarchy and the Indians were at the bottom next to the African slaves.  The Indians would provide most of the work and received barely any thing.  Also because of their low social position, they were also treated horribly during the early conquest era.  Their treatment would be slightly changed when the catholic church saw what was occurring and condemned it.  The church condemned this action to save face from the rising discontentment of Catholicism by protestants in Europe.  Economically, the new world became merely a resource to gain wealth for the mother land.  This mercantilist attitude is seen from all of the silver and other goods that were exported from Mesoamerica to Europe in the Columbian exchange.  The culture of Mesoamerica would drastically change from pre conquest to what it became after the conquest. First off, the religion was changed from the pagan rituals such as the Aztecs had, to Catholicism.  Priests who came from Spain and others, almost surprisingly, were former Aztec priest taught by other Catholics.(Clendinnen)   in this way catholosism spread throughout Mesoamerica.  Another change, was that the Indians went from being in power to having absolutely no power.  The Indians would in many times be treated poorly by the Spaniards, but were still vital to their dominance in the Americas, as the Spaniards were always heavily outnumbered.(“Conquest of Mexico”) 

              The conquest of the Aztecs by Cortes is still mostly put together by historians without a total understanding.  Most of the sources that the events are based upon come from mostly Spanish documents and therefore biased against the Indians.  Corte’s account in theLetters from Mexico were written to the king of Spain, and were most likely one sided and exaggerated, seeing that he had charges of treason and insubordination hanging over him, of which he was counting on the king for his exoneration.  The truth of the conquest may never be completely know what happened except for a few definite facts.  Pedro Ciezza de Leon once said about the Spanish, “For where ever the Spaniards have passed…it is as though a fire had gone, destroying everything in its path.”(Mann 129)  The statement was true for the conquest as well as the conquest of the Aztecs.  The entire empire was brought down by disease and battle, and the old Mexico that existed would never rise again.

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