How useful are Sources B and C and Interpretation D for a historian studying the work of the Church in New Spain? In your answer, refer to the two sources and the interpretation as well as
your own knowledge.
Source B – From The History of the Indies of New Spain by Fray Diego Duran, written in 1581. Duran was born in Spain but his family moved to Mexico City and he was educated there. In 1556 he became a Dominican friar and spent the rest of his life preaching and in close contact with the Indians.
The Christian religion began to grow and the Indians took to it with love and willingness. After the Christian fathers had preached to them, they began to abandon their idols. They broke them, mocked them and stepped on them. They begged to be baptised with great enthusiasm, and it was an amazing thing to see the millions who came for this baptism and who gave up the blindness in which they had lived their lives.
Twelve years after the conquest of New Spain, the fathers of the Order of Saint Augustine arrived and took up the work of conversion. They dedicated themselves to this work and began to convert these poor nations. In order to present a good example before the Indians, the most Christian Cortes would kneel and kiss the hands of any friar he met.
Source C – An illustration from The History of Mexico written by Munoz Camargo in the 1580s. Camargo was born in 1529. He had a Spanish father and Indian mother. This illustration was probably not drawn by him but by an Indian. Underneath the illustration was written ‘Punishment and justice for someone who had gone back to the Aztec religion. He is to be hanged the very next day.’
Interpretation D – From The Conquest of Mexico by the historian Hugh Thomas, 1993.
Cortes believed that the friars held the secret of keeping the large population peaceful and he was pleased to welcome in 1523, three volunteer Franciscans. So began the domination of the friars. Many more came, carrying out conversions by the thousand. Documents suggest that at least on a superficial level their success in Mexico was remarkable. The conquerors covered the country with a network of monasteries, churches and shrines. Yet this conversion was a patchwork. Fray Diego Duran was honest enough to see that Mexicans, while formally attending Christian festivals, seemed underneath to be celebrating pagan ones. The secret practice of ancient religious ceremonies continued for many years. Some Indian converts publicly washed their heads; so renouncing their baptism.