Danielle Soto

January , 2 , 2015

P.O.D. 11

Ms . Vanathayan
How Have People In the Past Gain Power ?

Since the dawn of time man has always harbored a fear of the unknown . To this day we
limit ourselves from obtaining knowledge and being more aware , to solely preserve our sense of
comfort and security . Despite it being the modern age ,we let history repeat itself,we are
controlled by our fears and whomever or whatever we fear wields the power . Time and time
again power was all that was craved ,to be powerful, to be in control .Wealth,riches,fame,safety
,these were all goals established by our predecessors . How they obtained these goals or
attempted to do so was by using fear,violence ,and technology . Naught else can compare when
you use all three tactfully . Using one or two of the three , perhaps you're a threat . But using all
three , you seem almost invisible .
History shows that fear has always been a downfall in society , but fear can also be a
rising act , if used correctly to your advantage . Many leaders conquerors used fearful tactics to
keep their people compliant and loyal . Whether it be laws ,social standards, or tradition , they
made sure to drill those into the minds of the people in their society . A prime example of this
would be from the Spanish Conquistadors . Sent from Spain to procure land in the Caribbean and
in South America . These conquistadors ,or conquerors, were sent out to get the land, no matter
the cost . An infamous conquistador , Hernn Corts (or Hernando Corts) is known for his
conquest over Montezuma one the last of the Aztec Emperors . When Cortes arrived in Mexico
Montezuma assumed him to be the White bearded god of the sun and war Quetzalcoatl .
Montezuma is described as being courteous and showing reverence to him . He stated that he
,felt comfortable,there they brought us food,though not sufficient and had welcomed him into

the city with ceremony and with the sounds of trumpets and drums . Some sources go as far to
say that Montezuma even offered up his throne to Cortes . But the Spanish came there for the
land and the riches ,with the help of a native woman to translate between them , Cortes engaged
in several altercations with the people of Tenochtitlan .His men were defeated the first time but
returning stronger and Montezuma surrendering he was able to instill fear into the remaining
people of the land who weren`t slaughtered. Do not disobey .
When fear cannot be used,or fear is not found,violence is key. The Triangular Slave relied
on the violence of and harsh treatment of slaves to ensure future wealth . After the
conquerization of Hispaniola,Mexico,and other colonies they established in the Caribbean,
Europe set sights for new slaves . Since most of the slaves in the areas they had claimed
contracted smallpox and measles , Europe needed new people to do the work,and set sight on
Africa . Finding outcasts of African society or converts , they helped bring slaves to the coast
aboard the slave ships . Since few Europeans dared to enter Africa in fear of disease and uprising
, the few daring one remained close to the coast and helped collect the slaves . To keep them in
line,slaves were chained closely together in confined spaces on the ships . Seeing daylight for
only a couple minutes per day,many died before they could even end the voyage .
An account from a slave ship stated , The closeness of the place, and the heat of the
climate added to to the number in the ship,which was so crowded that each of us scarcely had
room to turn himself,almost suffocated us . This produced copious perspirations,so that the air
soon became unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells , and brought a sickness
among the slaves,of which many died ( The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano , or
Gustavus Vassa , the African , Written by Himself , 1798) . Without proper nutrition and room to
even breath many fell to into death`s hands within a few months . Those who attempted to leave

or disobey were whipped or starved even further . This shows the power struggle in which slaves
fell into and were left to either obey or to be beat and possibly murdered.
The last way that many in society have gained power is by technology . In all scenarios in
history , the side who is more technologically advanced has the upper hand . During the
conqueration done by Spain , those who were Spanish Conquistadors were given encomiendas
which allowed them to have ownership over land,(which the indigenous people didn`t give away
willingly or knowingly ) and whomever was left on it . They were supposed to provide for the
people on the land , but it was glorified slavery . The people on the land were forced to suffer in
silence without justice . The Spanish had the power of sleek silver bullets , cannons , and guns .
While the people left on the land had knives, sharpened sticks,and their fists,which proved no
match to the advanced technology the Spanish had .
This claim is further proved by the statement from Document 2 : Life in Latin America
Under Spanish Rule , which explains that Although the natives were allowed to report
abuse,the court system excluded almost all of the native population, leaving the Spanish in
charge of punishing offenses . This shows that even if they had a justice system, no justice
was served to those in dire need of it . The native people were further dominated by technology
because the Spanish were in charge of giving out punishments,which was handled with the
bullets from their guns .
In conclusion,the aim for power has been instilled within our brains since prehistoric
times . The ways to obtain power ,fear,violence,and technology,have aided the most powerful
and strong leaders of our times . Whether seen in the bloodbath of the American revolution , the
liberating Haitian rebellion or the cultural reformation of the Mao era in China,finding power has

relied entirely on those three ways , and have been used time and time again . Why change?
Their predecessors have followed suit in using the same tactic and have been found victorious .

Bibliography :
http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/IRb
egins.html
https://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson6/pdfs/primarysourcepacket.pdf
The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano , or Gustavus Vassa , the African ,
Written by Himself
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/1.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/390850/Montezuma-II