*Includes over 20 pictures of Aztec art; ruins; and more. *Describes daily life for the Aztecs; including their infamous human sacrifice rituals. From the moment Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes first found and confronted them; the Aztecs have fascinated the world; and they continue to hold a unique place both culturally and in pop culture. Nearly 500 years after the Spanish conquered their mighty empire; the Aztecs are often remembered today for their major capital; Tenochtitlan; as well as being fierce conquerors of the Valley of Mexico who often engaged in human sacrifice rituals. Ironically; and unlike the Mayans; the Aztecs are not widely viewed or remembered with nuance; in part because their own leader burned extant Aztec writings and rewrote a mythologized history explaining his empire’s dominance less than a century before the Spanish arrived. Naturally; Cortes and other Spaniards depicted the Aztecs as savages greatly in need of conversion to Catholicism. While the Mayans are remembered for their astronomy; numeral system; and calendar; the Aztecs have primarily been remembered in a far narrower way; despite continuing to be a source of pride to Mexicans through the centuries. As a result; even though the Aztecs continue to interest people across the world centuries after their demise; it has fallen on archaeologists and historians to try to determine the actual history; culture; and lives of the Aztecs from the beginning to the end; relying on excavations; primary accounts; and more. The World’s Greatest Civilizations: The History and Culture of the Aztecs looks at this whole story; in an attempt to portray the Aztecs as they actually were. Along with pictures of Aztec art and ruins; this book describes the Aztecs’ lives; religion; art; cities; and empire; in an attempt to better understand the once dominant
#2514821 in Books Rodney Barfield 2013-05-14 2013-05-14Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .57 x 6.00l; .74 #File Name: 1483619648224 pagesAmerica s Forgotten Caste
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It's not the black history that your grandmother studied!By Sara BarfieldThis isn't just history...it's revolutionary history that will change forever the way you look at the black struggle to be respected for the color of their skin; not to try to overcome the color of their skin.Every black person in America reading this book will find in it redemption and truth and pride in their forefathers who came along in the same boats as the white folks came to America in the mid-1600's.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Historian's AssessmentBy Rodney BarfieldThe following review was written by Dr. James P. Elder II; formerly of Elon University Folger-Shakespeare Library."My background in this area of history owes largely to growing up in the South. I knew some of the history but much of it was new to me. The book is therefore altogether riveting and in many ways novel to me. It provides a historical framework to understand a murky chapter in our racial history. I was greatly impressed by the author's efforts and by his conclusions and am fully persuaded by them. A superbly written book; highly recommended!"1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great Read.By Sharon PennyAmerica's Forgotten Caste is an interesting read for anyone curious about the ill-defined world that existed between slavery and freedom in America. Free blacks; who were neither free nor necessarily black; lived in such a world where they fought off relentless efforts by whites to push them into the well-defined parameters of the enslaved.Despite a designation of "free;" the small population of free blacks lived under onerous restrictive laws that limited their mobility and their civil rights. Colonial and state laws forbade literacy; religious freedom; and labor competition with whites. Free blacks were constricted in where they could live; who they could marry; legal protection by the courts; and interracial mingling of any nature. They formed America's social caste; denied citizenship and entry into white society; the precursor of the nation's 20th century segregation laws.Numerous free blacks pushed back against the inequitable caste system; and we meet many of the successful ones in this book. John Day became a noted missionary and supreme court justice in Liberia; his brother Thomas became one of the largest furniture makers in North Carolina. Other free blacks were successful as artisans; planters; ship owners and operators; and entrepreneurs of every description. Some of these stories and mini-biographies read like a Horatio Alger novel.America's Forgotten Caste; while footnoted for the student; is an intriguing and easy read for anyone interested in a dynamic chapter of the nation's history and the origins of America's racial divide.
