Of Things of the Conquest

James Lockhart’s Of Things of the Indies is a collection of essays written at the end of a distinguished career in conquest history. In many ways, it can be read as a book surveying the state of the field, as many essays seem much like historiographical surveys. A lot can be learned by someone not familiar with the field from such studies, though it must be gleaned between the lines. The other half of the essays deal with direct topics such as emigration trends, cross-cultural contact and its effects on those contacted, and the pragmatic use of resources in the developing economy. The book does shatter many time-honored myths about the conquest of Mexico, and other American locales, but might not be the easiest way to approach the subject.

What stands out to me is Lockhart’s timetable for assimilation of Spanish culture by the Nahua, expressed most clearly on page 209. Stage one, the initial contact, saw little change. The second stage, 1540-50 to 1650-60, saw corporations primarily affected and Hispanic items enter Nahua culture discreetly. The third stage, after 1650, saw the two societies integrate on an intimate, widespread level. While Lockhart is careful to say this process does not hold true for other areas, it does say a lot about the nature of the conquest. The first true effects were in business, suggesting the Spanish were not primarily motivated by glory or religion, but by personal gain, shattering many myths of the conquest.

On page 313, Lockhart discusses the Native American view of the Spanish, essentially claiming that they did not believe the Spanish would transform society but were the equivalent of just another local power fighting for dominance. That being the case, they could support or reject them depending on their current political needs. The theory, expressed in a paragraph, makes more sense of the Spanish success in procuring allies than any narrative studied so far. The chapter also sheds light on the slow assimilation of Christian culture into native religion.

Gibson’s Aztecs Under Spanish Rule is an excellent practical look at Mexican society in the aftermath of the conquest. Or rather, it provides an excellent glance at the continually shifting Mexican society in the aftermath of the conquest. The changes, from ecology to population, are attributed by Gibson solely to human contact. The study focuses strictly on the Valley of Mexico.

After summarizing pre-conquest society, the selections examine the complex tribal network and how it was ripe for Spanish exploitation (whether Cortes knew it or not), the system of towns, and the shift from encomienda to corregimiento. In all cases, native culture displayed a remarkable ability to adapt and survive, shooting holes in Gibson’s initial classification of Mexican society as defeated. Indeed, the work seems to show that there was no real conquest, just two sides finding ways to adapt to the other, reaching something of a compromise. Though to be fair, no one would suggest that the Spanish got anything but the best parts of the bargain.

An especially interesting part for this class was Cortes’ refusal to give up the encomienda. Having just read narratives portraying Cortes as a selfless hero in service of God and country, his defiance of royal decree speaks completely to the opposite.