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CHAPTER 8: Campaigns and Elections
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Public participation in elections is lowest in

a. Australia.
b. Great Britain.
c. the United States.
d. Italy.
e. France.
ANS: C REF: 177 NOT: Factual
2. About __________ percent of Americans either do not participate in politics at all or limit that
participation strictly to voting.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 25
d. 35
e. 40
ANS: E REF: 178 NOT: Factual
3. A primary reason why people participate in politics is

a. that voting is more rewarding than community activities.
b. the success of political parties in attracting people to vote.
c. a strong sense of civic duty.
d. the ease of voting registration requirements.
e. high levels of political information and awareness.
ANS: C REF: 179 NOT: Conceptual
4. Normally speaking, which age group is the least likely to vote in a presidential election?
a. 18–24
b. 25–34
c. 35–44
d. 45–54
e. 55 and above
ANS: A REF: 179 NOT: Factual
5. Compared with white participation in the democratic process, African Americans participate
a. less than whites across the board.
b. more than whites of the same socioeconomic status.
c. only during some periods of history, such as the civil-rights movement in the 1960s.
d. more heavily in protest movements, riots, and demonstrations.
e. more heavily in national elections than in state and local contests.
ANS: B REF: 179 | 180 NOT: Factual
6. Evidence suggests that government officials tend to be better informed about and more in agreement
with the opinions of
a. average citizens.
b. activists.
c. inactives.
d. parochial participants.
e. residents of so-called blue states.
ANS: B REF: 180 NOT: Conceptual
7. Which constitutional amendment forbids states to deny the right to vote on account of age?
a. Thirteenth Amendment
b. Fifteenth Amendment
c. Nineteenth Amendment
d. Twenty-sixth Amendment
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: D REF: 180 NOT: Factual
8. Some states disenfranchise __________ for life.

a. felons
b. gamblers
c. former politicians
d. marijuana smokers
e. first-time, non-violent offenders
9. The legal voting age in almost all other nations is

a. 19.
b. 18.
c. 21.
d. 17.
e. 20.
ANS: B REF: 180 NOT: Factual
10. Which amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote on account of “race, color, or previous
condition of servitude”?
11. Compared with the public as a whole, political activists tend to be more
a. liberal.
b. conservative.
c. ideologically extreme on both the left and the right.
d. politically moderate, reflecting their sense of efficacy.
e. politically moderate, reflecting the influence of the media.
12. Which of the following was a major change in regard to American elections?
a. Direct election of members of the House
b. Equal representation in the electoral college
c. Uniform eligibility requirements for electors
d. Appointment of state legislators
e. Direct election of members of the Senate
13. Which of the following resulted in a dramatic change in the number of blacks who registered
and voted?
a. The Voting Rights Act of 1965
b. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
c. The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870
d. The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971
e. The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920
14. Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?

15. The Nineteenth Amendment did not greatly alter electoral outcomes because
a. women did not register to vote, leaving decisions to men.
b. women voted more or less in the same manner as men.
c. women took the advice of men in making their voting decisions.
d. there were no policies of interest to women in these elections.
e. women refused to vote in protest of the war.
16. When eighteen-year-olds got the vote, they

a. voted more frequently than the population as a whole.
b. were more heavily Democratic than Republican.
c. voted more Republican than Democratic.
d. voted for younger candidates in presidential elections.
e. made little difference to the outcomes of elections.
ANS: E REF: 182 NOT: Conceptual
17. Some scholars argue that the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century is more apparent than
real because in earlier elections
a. vote fraud inflated ballot counts.
b. the illiteracy of immigrants was not a factor.
c. property qualifications decreased the eligible electorate.
d. blacks were terrorized to keep them from voting.
e. were extended over several days.
ANS: A REF: 183 NOT: Conceptual
18. When did the United States begin using the secret ballot?
a. When VAP and VEP data became available
b. When the so-called Australian ballot was adopted
c. When the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965
d. When the government began registering people to vote
e. When the government began conducting the census
19. VEP calculations attempt to

a. remove immigration statistics from calculations of voter turnout.
b. add employment data to calculations of voter turnout.
c. employ census data and voter registration lists in calculations of voter turnout.
d. employ census data for calculations of voter turnout.
e. remove ineligible voters from calculations of voter turnout.
20. In most European nations, voter registration is

a. done for the voters by the government.
b. not required.
c. done by the voters by themselves.
d. more complicated than in the United States.
e. only possible if the voter owns property.
21. In 1993, Congress passed a law that allowed citizens to register to vote when they applied for
a. government jobs.
b. employment with community organizations.
c. college.
d. driver’s licenses.
e. participation in government funded construction projects.
22. When registered nonvoters in the United States were asked why they did not vote, what was the most
common explanation?
a. Illness
b. Apathy over the candidates/issues
c. Intense dislike of the candidates
d. No transportation to the polls
e. Scheduling conflicts
23. Studies suggest which of the following would be an effective way to increase vote turnout?
a. Direct mail
b. Radio ads
c. Door-to-door canvassing
d. Television ads
e. Election day festivals
24. When all is said and done, today, campaigns are largely run by
a. personal followers of the candidate.
b. party organizations.
c. large donors.
d. the media.
e. local politicians.
25. The increased reliance on the mass media by candidates has resulted in
a. campaigns becoming less costly.
b. issues becoming more important to voters.
c. an emphasis on the personal qualities of candidates.
d. PAC support becoming less important to candidates.
e. a decrease in soft money.
26. Which of the following have contributed to the increase in personal campaigns?
a. Primary elections
b. Political fundraising and patronage
c. Increased reliance on mass media
d. Decline in party identification
e. All of the above are true.
27. In recent years states have tried to increase the importance of their primaries and caucuses by
a. excluding independent voters.
b. welcoming independent voters.
c. scheduling these events later in the contest.
d. scheduling these events earlier in the contest.
e. advertising these events nationally.
ANS: D REF: 187 NOT: Conceptual
28. The tendency of big states, in recent years, is to __________ primaries and caucuses.
a. narrow-cast
b. commercialize
c. end-load
d. front-load
e. solidify
29. What is a major strategic problem that presidential candidates face?

a. Sounding upbeat in a down economy
b. Appealing to die-hard supporters in the primary and centrists in the general election
c. Appealing to centrists in the primary and die-hard supporters in the general election
d. Presenting their voting record without revealing too much
e. Deciding how to present the inevitable attack ads
30. If you must declare that you are a registered member of a party a considerable time in advance, then
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
31. If you are voting because no candidate received a majority of the votes in a previous election, then you
are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
32. If you can decide which party’s ticket you would like to participate in as you enter the voting booth,
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
33. The 2008 election was somewhat significant because it featured

a. senators as candidates.
b. governors as candidates.
c. a shaky economy and international conflict.
d. an unpopular president.
e. no incumbent president or vice president as a candidate.
34. In general elections, visuals

a. present the candidate as doing newsworthy activities.
b. are poorly suited to the needs of television.
c. usually help the Republican candidate.
d. are being used less frequently.
e. are avoided by candidates in close races.
35. As a campaign tool, televised debates

a. tend to favor the incumbents.
b. tend to favor the lesser-known candidates.
c. usually change voter behavior significantly.
d. usually have a clear winner.
e. showcase all candidates equally.
36. In political terms, what does “Astroturf” mean?

a. Artificial grass
b. Artificial grass used for campaign stops
c. A substitute for a “grassroots” movement
d. Issues that are “off-limits” or “off-the- territory”
e. The public arena where hot topics are debated
37. Which of the following has been shown to increase voter turnout?
a. Reminding people to vote
b. Telling people where to vote
c. Mailing partisan appeals to voters
d. Telling people how often their neighbors have voted
e. Showing TV ads
38. Research has shown that negative ads

a. have no effect on elections.
b. decrease voter turnout.
c. generate votes.
d. reduce the attacker’s credibility.
e. confuse the issues in the voters’ minds.
39. In presidential elections, __________ are more loyal to their party’s candidate.
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
c. Independents
d. no party’s identifiers
e. Libertarians
40. Which Democratic presidential candidate received 90 percent or more of Democratic votes?
a. Carter (1976 and 1980)
b. Clinton (1992 and 1996)
c. Gore (2000)
d. Kerry (2004)
e. Obama (2008)
41. In most presidential elections, a majority of the voters decide whom they will vote for
a. soon after the nominating conventions.
b. during the primaries.
c. before the primaries.
d. just before the election.
e. after national newspapers have made their endorsements.
42. There is evidence to suggest that Eisenhower’s decision to “go to Korea” was influenced by
a. his cabinet.
b. party leaders in the Senate.
c. editorials that he had read in elite publications.
d. protesters outside the White House.
e. public-opinion polls.
43. President __________ ordered endless polls, sometimes weekly, to help him decide what positions
to adopt.
a. Bush
b. Clinton
c. Reagan
d. Carter
e. Eisenhower
44. The rise in single-issue ideological groups has been associated with the
a. Internet.
b. rise of voter apathy.
c. rise in the power of political parties.
d. decline in overall religious activity.
e. decline in the power of political parties.
45. Single-issue interest groups seem to have their greatest electoral impact on
a. primary elections.
b. general elections.
c. the electoral college.
d. incumbents.
e. political conventions.
46. In a typical presidential election, about _____ percent of voters cannot be counted on to vote either
Republican or Democrat.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 20
d. 50
e. 65
47. The biggest factor affecting the votes of non-Democrats and non-Republicans is
a. the choices that candidates make regarding vice-presidential nominees.
b. the economy.
c. concern about crime.
d. international affairs.
e. the character of the candidates.
48. The “pocketbook vote” refers to how

a. general economic conditions affect people’s voting behavior.
b. spending on attack ads affect people’s voting behavior.
c. voters’ income is related to voting behavior.
d. special interest groups influence voting behavior.
e. voter participation influences voting behavior.
49. Which of the following affects how people will vote for president?
a. The vice presidential nominee
b. The role of the mass media
c. The issues the candidate proposes
d. Religion
e. Presidential character
50. When listing the primary factors that impact election outcomes, the authors do not include
a. vice-presidential nominees.
b. mass media.
c. issues discussed by candidates.
d. religion.
e. All of the above are true.
51. In voting, the average person decides by

a. making a retrospective decision on issues.
b. making a prospective decision on issues.
c. ignoring issues totally and concentrating on personalities.
d. focusing on foreign-policy issues.
e. focusing on issues related to national defense and trade.
52. An electoral realignment occurs when

a. a census is taken and new districts are created.
b. a third party forces a new coalition among officeholders.
c. a candidate changes party affiliation.
d. voters ally with the parties in new ways so that there are large and enduring shifts
throughout the population.
e. a party disappears and is replaced by a single-interest group.
ANS: D REF: 198 |199 NOT: Conceptual
53. There seems to have been ___________ realignments in American politics so far.
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. five
e. nine
54. The 1932 realignment was brought on by

a. the women’s vote.
b. economics.
c. civil rights.
d. religion.
e. Immigration.
55. Realignment generally has been related to
a. shifting demographic patterns.
b. decisions made within party organizations.
c. new and important issues.
d. federal election laws.
e. elite opinion.
56. Republican victories in the presidential elections from 1980 through 1996 indicate that a party
realignment has
a. not yet occurred despite these victories.
b. succeeded only in producing a mandate for the Republican Party.
c. propelled the Republicans into the position of the dominant party.
d. occurred to some extent among white voters in the South.
e. occurred in so-called blue states.
57. Evidence of decay in political parties is exhibited by the declining proportion of people identifying
with either party and by the
a. election of more independent candidates to Congress.
b. rise in split-ticket voting.
c. lower quality of candidates representing the parties in Congress.
d. rise in political corruption.
e. increase in congressional investigations.
58. The most loyal supporters of the Democrats have been

a. Catholics and rural people.
b. southerners.
c. rural people and Protestants.
d. African Americans.
e. union members.
59. Poor voters, contrary to popular belief, more often support Republican candidates because
a. the Democrats have been disappointing when in office.
b. the Republicans are perceived as a more effective party.
c. the poor include many elderly, retired persons who are traditionally Republican.
d. Republicans support extensive social programs.
e. Democratic members of Congress have rarely supported increases in the minimum wage.
60. Which of the following candidates did the textbook use as an example of the importance of media in
the development of name recognition?
a. Al Gore
b. Estes Kefauver
c. Ross Perot
d. Adlai Stevenson
e. John F. Kennedy
61. When a voter sees and hears only what she or he wants, __________ is at work.
a. mental tune-out
b. selective attention
c. perceptual narrowing
d. sensory overload
e. conceptual burnout
62. The legal limit on what a congressional candidate may spend is

a. $5,000.
b. $1,000.
c. $10,000.
d. $100,000.
e. nonexistent.
63. In congressional elections, higher campaign spending is especially important for

a. the challenger.
b. the incumbent.
c. conservatives.
d. any candidate.
e. Democrats.
64. Today, the major source of congressional campaign money is

a. PACs.
b. small individual donors.
c. the government itself.
d. corporations.
e. labor unions.
65. For a presidential candidate to be eligible for federal matching funds, he or she must first
a. raise a total of $50,000 from individuals and other donors in each of thirty different states.
b. have the validated signatures of at least 5,000 registered voters on a petition in each of
twenty-five different states.
c. raise $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of twenty different states.
d. receive at least 25 percent of the vote in any three states having presidential primaries.
e. win the electoral vote of half the states.
66. The 2002 campaign finance reform law set a limit of __________ on the amount any person can
contribute to a single candidate in a single election.
a. $200
b. $2,000
c. $10,000
d. $50,000
e. $20,000
67. The text concludes that elections
a. never make a difference in public policy because the bureaucracy makes the important
decisions.
b. are less important today than before in changing public policy.
c. are irrelevant because the two parties are so similar.
d. are often significant in producing change.
e. rarely produce change that is substantial.
68. An analysis of campaign promises made between 1944 and 1964 by the two major parties revealed
that ____ percent of the promises were carried out.
a. 31
b. 46
c. 72
d. 64
e. 80
TRUE/FALSE
1. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey won the Democratic nomination without competing in a single state
primary.
ANS: T REF: 177
2. Young adults have voted at lower rates than older adults in every election since 1972.
ANS: T REF: 179
3. African Americans vote at a higher rate than whites when comparisons control for income and
education.
ANS: T REF: 179 |180
4. The Fifteenth Amendment says that no state can deny any citizen the right to vote on account of
gender.
ANS: F REF: 181
5. When first allowed to vote, women turned out in greater numbers than men.
ANS: F REF: 182
6. The Twenty-sixth Amendment gave those eighteen years of age and older the right to vote.
ANS: T REF: 182
7. Today, younger voters are somewhat more likely than older voters to be Democrats.
ANS: F REF: 182

8. VAP data are problematic because they are based on census reports and include ineligible voters.
ANS: T REF: 183
9. Post-1968 U. S. presidential elections have drawn over 70 percent of all registered voters.
ANS: T REF: 184
10. In recent years the tendency has been for states to try to run their primaries and caucuses as early as
possible.
ANS: T REF: 187
11. There is clear evidence that recent debates have had an influence on presidential contests.
ANS: F REF: 190
12. Democratic voters support their presidential candidate less often than Republican voters support their
party’s candidate.
ANS: T REF: 191
13. George W. Bush’s top White House political adviser, Karl Rove, was a self-taught polling expert.
ANS: T REF: 193
14. The political party of the most presidents gains congressional seats in off-year elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
15. President Obama’s attempts to expand the role and cost of government resulted in gains for
Democratic Party seats in the 2010 mid-term congressional elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
16. The Tea Party has no central leadership or policy.
ANS: T REF: 194
17. Candidates supported by the Tea Party consistently won primary and general elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
18. Single-issue ideological groups have a greater impact in general elections than in primaries.
ANS: F REF: 195
19. In a typical presidential election, the two major parties generally can expect to gather in 80 percent of
the vote no matter whom they nominate.
ANS: T REF: 196
20. When economic times are bad, incumbent presidents do well at the polls.
ANS: F REF: 196
21. The choice of a running mate for vice president usually has a critical impact on who wins or loses a
presidential election.
ANS: F REF: 197
22. It is clear that the mass media have a critical impact on who wins or loses a presidential race.
ANS: F REF: 197
23. Prospective voting is more common among political activists.
ANS: T REF: 198
24. Scholars believe that there have been ten major realignments in American politics.
ANS: F REF: 199
25. A “blue state” is one where Democrats usually win.
ANS: T REF: 200
26. Split-ticket voting was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century.
ANS: T REF: 200
27. The Democrats usually win the votes of the poor.
ANS: F REF: 202
28. A PAC must have at least 150 members.
ANS: F REF: 205
29. In 2010, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the BCRA, ruling that it violated free speech
rights of corporations, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations.
ANS: T REF: 206
30. Studies confirmed that candidates typically keep about 25% of their campaign promises.
ANS: F REF: 210
ESSAY
1. What three facts have important implications for a theory of democracy?
ANS:
(a.) The large number of offices filled by elected officials
(b.) The low levels of participation in elections
(c.) The weak condition of political parties
2. What have been the three most important changes in elections since the broad political participation
brought on by the Jacksonian movement?
ANS:
(a.) The extension of suffrage to African Americans (Fifteenth Amendment)
(b.) The extension of suffrage to females (Nineteenth Amendment)
(c.) The extension of suffrage to those 18 years old (Twenty Sixth Amendment)
(d.) The direct election of U.S. Senators
3. What is the Australian Ballot? What party advocated the Australian Ballot?
ANS:
(a.) It was a reform advocated by the Progressives to curtail vote fraud.
(b.) It was a uniform ballot printed and distributed by the government.
(c.) The ballot was then cast in secret.
4. What features of our political system have contributed to the rise of personal rather than party-run
campaigns?
ANS:
(a.) Primary elections have weakened the ability of party leaders to select candidates.
(b.) Political funds and political jobs are increasingly under the control of candidates.
(c.) Increased reliance on media has resulted in greater attention on the personal
qualities of individual candidates.
(d.) Party identification is declining.
5. Identify four types of non–presidential primary elections and explain what each entails.
ANS:
(a.) Closed: Voters declare in advance which party’s primary they will participate in.
(b.) Open: Voter’s decide on Election Day, in the voting booth, which party’s primary
election they will participate in.
(c.) Blanket: Voters choose candidates from either party in a list of offices.
(d.) Runoff primary: If no candidate gets a majority of the votes, there is a runoff between
the two candidates with the most votes.
6. What are some things identified by the text that do and do not increase vote turnout?
ANS:
(a.) Do not increase voter turnout: Reminding people to vote, telling people where to
vote, and mailing partisan appeals to vote.
(b.) Do increase voter turnout: Telling people how often they have voted in the past, and
telling people how often their neighbors have voted.
7. Given the fact that more people typically identify with the Democratic party, why don’t the Democrats
always win?
ANS:
(a.) Democrats are less firmly wedded to the party.
(b.) Republican candidates have tended to gather a larger percentage of the Independent
votes.
(c.) Republicans are more likely to vote than Democrats.
8. What three things explained the unusual elections of 2010, where the Democrats lost 61 seats in the
House and 6 seats in the Senate?
ANS:
(a.) The Country was in the grip of a recession.
(b.) The President’s attempt to expand the role and cost of government was not popular.
(c.) The election became nationalized.
9. Summarize what we know and don’t know about single issue voters.
ANS:
(a.) Some say they are the result of the decline of political parties.
(b.) There is nothing new about such groups.
(c.) Although they have received a lot of media attention, it is not clear that they have an
effect on national elections.
(d.) They may have considerable impact on primary elections.
10. Scholars cannot say exactly what decides elections, but what three things appear to count the most?
ANS:
(a.) Political party affiliation
(b.) The state of the economy
(c.) The character of the candidates
11. Identify the five examples of party realignment identified by the text and the political parties that came
to power as result.
ANS:
(a.) 1800 (Jeffersonian Republicans)
(b.) 1828 (Jacksonian Democrats)
(c.) 1860 (Republicans)
(d.) 1896 (Republicans)
(e.) 1932 (Democrats)
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course, with considerable elaborations which by no means promote the
correctness, however much the beauty of aspect is improved.
Ancient Mexico. Taken from an Edition of the Letters of Cortés

Published at Luxemburg A.D. m.d.xx.viii.
Very similar to this is the view given in some of Solis’ editions, that of Antwerp,
1704, for instance, wherein is also found a view of Mexico with its surrounding
towns, as Cuitlahuac, Iztapalapan, and others, all grouped closely together within
the main lake! A native plan of the capital, said to have been given by Montezuma
to Cortés, accords little with Spanish descriptions, and is difficult to understand
from its peculiar outline, illustrated with Aztec hieroglyphics. Alaman doubts its
origin and correctness. See Prescott’s Mex. (Mex. ed. 1844), ii. 157. A good copy
of it is given in Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., ii. 221.
The view in Libro di Benedetto Bordone, Nel qual si ragiona de tutte l’Isole del
mondo, Vinegia, 1528, 73 leaves, is accompanied by an interesting description of
La gran citta di Temistitan, remarkable from being perhaps the first sketch of any
value given in a cosmographic work. It occupies the greater part of folios vi. to x.,
devoted to the terra da Ferdinando Cortese. Five more folios describe the West
Indies and Venezuela region, the only portions of America known to Bordone
when he wrote his book. It was completed in 1521, according to its pontifical
license, although not issued till 1528. The versatile author, who figured both as
artist and professor, died in 1531, and the later issues of the Libro, henceforth
called Isolario, are by editors whose endeavor to keep apace with the demands of
the times is instanced by the edition of 1537, wherein appears a letter on the
conquest of Peru. In the mappemonde of the first edition before me, the smaller
northern part of the new continent is called terra del laboratore, while the southern
part bears the inscription ponẽti môdo nouo. The two are separated at the
Isthmus, in about the latitude of the Mediterranean, by a long strait, at the eastern
mouth of which, on the sectional map of folio vi., is written, stretto pte del mõdo
nouo. Farther east lie the islands Astores, Asmaide, and Brasil. The numerous
sectional wood-cut maps and plans bear the conventional outline of a series of
concave segments, and of the ten referring to different parts of the new world,
seven apply to the Antilles.
The clearest account of Mexico given by any of the conquerors is to be found
in Relatione d’alcvne cose della Nuoua Spagna, & della gran città di Temistitan
Messico, fatta per vn gentil’huomo del Signor Fernando Cortese, wherein the
description of the natives, their manners and customs, their towns, the resources
of the country, and above all, the capital city, is to be found in concise form,
arranged in paragraphs with appropriate headings, and illustrated by a cut of the
great temple, which appears far more correct than those given by most
subsequent writers. A view of the capital is also appended, showing the
surrounding country, and according very nearly with those of the Nuremberg type,
except in the faulty relative position to the neighborhood. Nothing is known of the
author, who is generally referred to as the Anonymous Conqueror, but the opinion
has been hazarded that he was Francisco de Terrazas, mayordomo of Cortés. His
account was evidently written in Spanish, but did not see the light till Ramusio
issued it in Italian under the above title. It forms one of the most valuable
documents for the history of Mexico to be found in this prized collection of voyages
and travels, the first large work of its class. No branch of literature obtained a
greater stimulus from the discovery of Columbus. He it was who broke the barrier
which had confined the ardor of voyagers, and who led the revival of maritime
enterprise, creating a curiosity among the stayers-at-home that could be satiated
only with repeated editions of narratives relating to expeditions and conquests.
The number of these narratives became, within a few years, so large as to require
their grouping into special collections for the sake of cheapness and convenience.
The earliest is probably the Paesi Nouamente retrouati, Et Nouo Mondo da
Alberico Vesputio; By Fracanzo or Fracanzano da Montalboddo, Vicenza, 1507,
mentioned by Tiraboschi, Storia della literatura italiana. This was reproduced in
1508 by Madrignani, at Milan. According to Panzer, Ruchamer issued the same
year a somewhat fuller collection at Nuremberg, under the title of Newe
Unbekanthe landte Und eine Newe weldte, with eight pieces, among them the
voyages of Columbus, Ojeda, Pinzon, and Vespucci. A similar work was issued by
the Italian Angiolelo, in 1519.
The best known of these early collections, and by many regarded as the first
issued in German, is the Novus Orbis Regionvm ac Insolarvm Veteribvs
Incognitarvm; Basileæ apvd Io Hervagivm, Mense Martio, anno M.D.XXXII., 4to,
584 pages, beside unnumbered leaves. ‘La plus ancienne de ces (Latin)
collections,’ says Boucher, Bibl. Univ., i. 55. Although prepared by John Huttich,
the canon of Strasbourg, it is better known under the name of Simon Grynæus,
who wrote the introductory and revised it at the request of Hervagius, the
publisher, a well known bookman, greatly esteemed by Erasmus. Meusel, Bibl.
Hist., iii. pt. i. 221, gives it with punctilious fairness the title of Collectio Huttichio-
Grynæo-Hervagiana, while others apply only the middle name or the last two. The
attribution to Grynæus is greatly due to his fame as a reformer, as the personal
friend of Luther and Calvin, as the discoverer of Livy’s lost books, and as the first
of a long line of scholars celebrated under that name. It is an excellently printed
volume, with quaint head-pieces, and containing as it does so many papers of
which the original editions are now lost, the collection must be esteemed of great
value. The nineteen pieces of original contributions, journals, and borrowed
accounts, include the voyages of Columbus, Alonso, and Pinzon from Madrignani;
Alberici Vesputij nauigationum epitome, and nauigationes IIII.; and Petri Martyris
de insulis. The other narratives relate to Asia, to the Levant, and to Russia. With
some copies is found a mappemonde, but the only genuine one, according to
Harrisse, 294, bears the inscription Terra de Cuba, in the northern part of the new
world, and in the south, Parias, Canibali America Terra Nova, Prisilia, with the
word Asia in large type. Among the several editions the German of 1534, by Herr,
is rarer than the above original, while the Dutch of 1563, by Ablijn, is the most
complete.
After Huttich the voyage collections increased rapidly in number and size, till
they reached the fine specimen of Ramusio, forming not only the first large work of
this class, but, for a long time, the most extensive which bears on America.
Harrisse, 457, very justly observes that ‘the publication of Ramusio’s Raccolta
may be said to open an era in the literary history of Voyages and Navigation.
Instead of accounts carelessly copied and translated from previous collections,
perpetuating errors and anachronisms, we find in this work original narrations
judiciously selected, carefully printed, and enriched with notices which betray the
hand of a scholar of great critical acumen.’ The first issue appeared as Primo
Volvme Delle Navigationi et Viaggi. In Venetia appresso gli heredi di Lvcantonio
Givnti, 1550, folio, 405 leaves. ‘Les Juntes (le) publièrent ... sous la direction de
Jean-Baptiste Ramusio.’ Camus, Mém. Coll. Voy., 7. Neither in this, nor in the third
volume, issued in 1553, nor in the second edition of the first volume, 1554, does
the name of Giambatista Ramusio, Rannusio, or Rhamusio, appear as author, and
it is only in the second volume that the publisher, Tommaso Giunti, resolves to set
aside the modesty of his friend, and to place his name upon the title-page. The
publication of this volume had been delayed till 1559, owing to the death of the
author and to the burning of the printing establishment.
In the preface Giunti refers to the close friendship between them, and extols
Ramusio as a learned man, who had served in foreign countries, acquiring in this
way a perfect knowledge of French and Spanish. He had long been a devoted
student of history and geography, inspired to some extent by the travels of his
uncle, the celebrated Doctor Girolamo Ramusio. As secretary to the powerful
Venetian Council ‘de Signori Dieci,’ he was in a position to maintain
correspondence with such men as Oviedo, Cabot, Cardinal Bembo, and others,
part of which is to be found in Lettere di XIII. Huomini illustri, Venetia, 1565. All this
served him in the formation of the great work upon which he labored during the
last 34 years of his life. He died at Padua, July 10, 1557, 72 years of age.
The first volume relates chiefly to Asia and Africa, but contains Lettere due
and Sommario by Vespucci, and four papers on Spanish and Portuguese
circumnavigation. The contents of the set have been somewhat changed and
increased during the several republications, but the best editions are those of
1588, 1583, and 1565, for the first, second, and third volume respectively. Vol. ii.
of this set relates chiefly to Asia, but is of interest to American students for its
narrative of the much doubted voyages of the brothers Zeno. Its small size
indicates the loss it sustained by the events above referred to. ‘Et nõ vi
marauigliate, se riguardando gli altri due, non uedrete questo Secõdo volume, si
pieno & copioso di scrittori, come il Ramusio già s’haueua pposto di fare, che la
morte ui s’interpose.’ ii. 2.
The third volume is entirely devoted to America, and contains all the most
valuable documents known up to the time of its first issue, such as the relations of
Martyr, Oviedo, Cortés, and his contemporaries in Mexico, Pizarro, Verazzano,
Carthier, the Relation di Nvnno di Gvsman, in several parts, and the valuable
Relatione per vn gentil’huomo del Signor Fernando Cortese. The volume begins
with a learned discourse by Ramusio on ancient knowledge of a land to the west,
and of causes leading to the discovery. At the end of the 1565 edition is a map of
America, showing Lower California as a wide peninsula, and Terra del Fuego
joined to the land of the Circolo Antartico. The comparative crudeness of the
wood-cuts and maps has not made the work much esteemed by collectors, but its
value even now, for reference, is unquestioned. The set was dedicated to
Hieronimo Fracastoro, the great poet and physician, born mouthless, yet so
eloquent. Scaliger, Aræ Fracastoreæ. At the end of the Discorso sopra Perv, iii.
371, Ramusio says: ‘Et questa narratione con breuità habbiamo voluto discorrere
per satisfattione de i lettori, laquale piu distintamente legeranno nel quarto
volume.’ According to Fontanini, Bibl., 274, the material for this volume lay
prepared in manuscript, only to perish in the disastrous fire of November, 1557.
[459] It is still one of the main roads, known under Spanish dominion as Calzada
de Iztapalapan, now as S. Antonio Abad.
[460] Cortés names the well built Mexicaltzinco, Niciaca, and Huchilohuchico (now
Churubusco), to which he gives respectively 3000, 6000, and 4000 to 5000
families. Cartas, 83-4. Gomara, Hist. Mex., 99, names Coioacan instead of
Niciaca, and this change is generally accepted, for the latter name is probably a
mistake by the copyist or printer. Peter Martyr, dec. v. cap. iii.
[461] ‘Mandò que vn Indio en lengua Mexicana, fuesse pregonando que nadie se
atrauessasse por el camino, sino queria ser luego muerto.’ Herrera, dec. ii. lib. vii.
cap. v.
[462] Also referred to as Fort Xoloc. ‘En donde hoy la garita de San Antonio Abad,’
says Ramirez, in Prescott (ed. Mex. 1845), ii. 104.
[463] Herrera, who is usually moderate, swells the figure to 4000.
[464] The avenue is now called el Rastro. The suburb here bore the name of
Huitzitlan. ‘Vitzillan que es cabe el hospital de la Concepcion.’ Sahagun, Hist.
Conq., 23. At Tocititlan, says Duran, Hist. Ind., MS., ii. 439. ‘Junto de la Hermita de
San Anton.’ Torquemada, i. 450. ‘Segun una antigua tradicion conservada en el
hospital de Jesus, el punto en que le encontró fué frente á éste, y por recuerdo del
suceso se hizo la fundacion en aquel parage.’ Alaman, Disert., i. 103; and
Ramirez, note in Prescott (ed. Mex. 1845), ii. 103. The previous authorities
indicate, however, that the meeting took place farther from the centre of the city.
[465] Chimalpain mentions among others Tetlepanquezatl, king of Tlacopan,

Yzquauhtzin Tlacochcalcatl, lord or lieutenant of Tlatelulco, captain-general
Atlixcatzin, son of Ahuitzatl, and Tepehuatzin, son of Titotzin. Hist. Conq., 125.
Sahagun differs slightly in the names. Hist. Conq., 24-5.
[466] For dress, see Native Races, ii. 178 et seq. Cortés gives sandals only to
Montezuma, but it appears that persons of royal blood were allowed to retain them
before the emperor, as Ixtlilxochitl also affirms. Hist. Chich., 295; Oviedo, iii. 500;
Purchas, His Pilgrimes, iv. 1121.
[467] ‘Cenzeño ... y el rostro algo largo, è alegre.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 67.
‘Motecçuma quiere dezir hõbre sañudo y graue.’ Gomara, Hist. Mex., 103; Acosta,
Hist. Ind., 502-3. It is from this, probably, that so many describe him as serious in
expression. A number of portraits have been given of the monarch, differing
greatly from one another. The best known is Prescott’s, taken from the painting for
a long time owned by the Condes de Miravalle, the descendants of Montezuma;
but this lacks the Indian type, and partakes too much of the ideal. Clavigero’s,
Storia Mess., iii. 8, appears more like him, though it is too small and too roughly
sketched to convey a clear outline. Far better is the half-size representation
prefixed to Linati, Costumes, which indeed corresponds very well with the text
description. The face in Armin, Alte Mex., 104, indicates a coarse Aztec warrior,
and that in Montanus, Nieuwe Weereld, 244-5, an African prince, while the native
picture, as given in Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., ii. 6, is purely conventional. The
text description, based chiefly on Bernal Diaz, is not inappropriate to the weak,
vacillating character of the monarch. Clavigero makes him nearly 54 years old,
and Brasseur de Bourbourg 51; but 40, as Bernal Diaz calls him, appears to be
more correct.
[468] ‘Ellos y él ficieron asimismo ceremonia de besar la tierra.’ Cortés, Cartas,

85.
[469] ‘De margaritas y diamantes de vidrio.’ Id. ‘Que se dizen margagitas.’ Bernal
Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 65.
[470] Solis assumes that Cortés was repelled when he sought to place the
necklace on Montezuma. The latter chides the jealous princes, and permits him.
Hist. Mex., i. 370. ‘Pareceme que el Cortès ... le daua la mano derecha, y el
Monteçuma no la quiso, è se la diò â Cortès.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 65. This
phrase, which applies equally to offering the right hand, has been so understood
by those who notice it; but as this would be confusing, Vetancurt, for instance,
assumes improbably that Marina offers her right hand to Montezuma, which he
disregards, giving his instead to Cortés. Teatro Mex., pt. iii. 129.
[471] Cortés, Cartas, 85. Ixtlilxochitl has it that Cacama was left with him; and
Bernal Diaz, that the lord of Coyuhuacan also remained. According to Cortés,
Montezuma accompanied him all the way to the quarters in the city, keeping a few
steps before. Gomara and Herrera follow this version. But Bernal Diaz states
explicitly that he left the Spaniards to follow, allowing the people an opportunity to
gaze; and Ixtlilxochitl assumes that he goes in order to be ready to receive him at
the quarters. Hist. Chich., 295. It is not probable that Montezuma would expose
himself to the inconvenience of walking so far back, since this involved
troublesome ceremonies, as we have seen, not only to himself but to the
procession, and interfered with the people who had come forth to gaze. The native
records state that Montezuma at once surrendered to Cortés the throne and city.
‘Y se fueron ambos juntos á la par para las casas reales.’ Sahagun, Hist. Conq.,
23-4. Leading Cortés into the Tozi hermitage, at the place of meeting, he made the
nobles bring presents and tender allegiance, while he accepted also the faith.
Duran, Hist. Ind., MS., ii. 440-1.
[472] About 6000 in all. ‘Nosotros aun no llegauamos á 450 soldados.’ Bernal
Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 65. Prescott places the number at about 350.
[473] According to Sahagun not a soul was to be seen, either upon the causeway
or along the streets, the people having taken this manner to express their
indignation at the semi-forcible entry of the Spaniards. Montezuma came to
receive them purely out of a feeling of humanity. Startled at this solitude, Cortés
fears dangers, and vows, if all goes well, to build a church. This was the origin,
says Bustamante, of the Hospital de Jesus. Sahagun, Hist. Conq. (ed. Mex. 1840),
79-84. See note 12, this chapter. Brasseur de Bourbourg accepts this view. Hist.
Nat. Civ., iv. 212-13. Still Sahagun describes the interview with Cortés as most
cordial. He is in fact contradictory, and it is evident that the order issued to the
people to keep the narrow causeway clear, and the etiquette which required them
to give way to the emperor, have been hastily interpreted by the chronicler into
‘deserted streets’ and ‘popular indignation.’ Had the citizens objected to receive
the strangers, the bridges could have been raised against them.
[474] ‘Au coin de la rue del Indio triste et de celle de Tacuba,’ says Humboldt,
Vues, i. 58, prudently, without attempting to give its extent. Ramirez and Carbajal
do so, however, and in allowing it about the same length as the temple inclosure,
they place it right across the eastern avenue of the city, which like the other three
is admitted to have terminated at one of the temple gates. Carbajal Espinosa, Hist.
Mex., ii. 222; Ramirez, notes in Prescott’s Mex. (ed. Mex. 1845), ii. app. 103.
‘Donde hoy las Casas de el Marqués del Valle,’ says Lorenzana, in Cortés, Hist.
N. Esp., 86, a statement disputed by later writers. Prescott quotes Humboldt, but
evidently does not understand him, for he places the palace ‘facing the western
gate,’ which is not only on the wrong side, but across the western avenue. Mex., ii.
79. ‘Adonde ... tenia el gran Monteçuma sus grandes adoratorios de idolos ... nos
lleuaron á aposentar á aquella casa por causa, que como nos llamauã Teules, é
por tales nos tenian, que estuuiessemos entre sus idolos.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist.
Verdad., 66. The idea of being regarded as a god seems to have pleased the old
soldier immensely.
[475] They doubtless formed a double necklace, with gold setting and pendants.
Cortés writes that on the way to the palace Montezuma halted to place them round
his neck. Cartas, 85; Gomara, Hist. Mex., 100-1; Sahagun, Hist. Conq., 23.
[476] ‘A throne of gold,’ is Peter Martyr’s briefer yet grander term. dec. v. cap. iii.
[477] Hist. Verdad., 65-6; Herrera, dec. ii. lib. vii. cap. v.; Sahagun, Hist. Conq., 25-
6.
[478] Bernal Diaz states that the emperor always addressed him as Malinche, and,
indeed, it was common among Mexicans to address persons by a name given
them in later life in connection with some peculiarity, deed, or incident. Hence
Cortés, as master of the prominent female interpreter, received a name implying
that relationship.
[479] For which see Native Races.
[480] Cortés, Cartas, 86. This is in substance the speech of Montezuma, as given
by native as well as Spanish records; yet it appears improbable that the emperor
should have been so ready, at the first interview, and in presence of his courtiers,
to humble himself so completely before a few strangers whom he regarded as
mortals. See note 19. ‘Myself, my wife and children, my house, and all that I
possess, are at your disposal,’ says the Spaniard, even in our day, to the guest
whom he wishes to impress with his hospitality. Perhaps Montezuma was equally
profuse with hollow words, which have been recorded as veritable offers.
[481] Cortés, Cartas, 86-7. Bernal Diaz introduces this paragraph during the next
interview.
[482] Id. ‘Á cada vno de nuestros Capitanes diò cositas de oro, y tres cargas de
mantas de labores ricas de plumas, y entre todos los soldados tambien nos diò á
cada vno á dos cargas de mantas.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 66; Gomara, Hist.
Mex., 101-2; Peter Martyr, dec. v. cap. iii.; Duran, Hist. Ind., MS., ii. 441-2;
Herrera, dec. ii. lib. vii. cap. vi.; Torquemada, i. 452-3; Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chich.,
296; Peralta, Not. Hist., 107-8. Acosta implies that Cortés now reconciled the
Tlascaltecs with the Aztecs. Hist. Ind., 521.
[483] ‘Eramos hermanos en el amor, y amistad, é personas mui principales,’ is the

way Bernal Diaz expresses it. Hist. Verdad., 66.
[484] Gomara, Hist. Mex., 102-3. ‘Los haçia proveer luego, assi de mugeres de
serviçio, como de cama, é les daba á cada uno una joya que pessaba hasta diez
pessos de oro.’ Oviedo, iii. 500-1.
[485] Vetancvrt, Teatro Mex., pt. iii. 129. Sahagun, followed by Acosta, Brasseur
de Bourbourg, and others, states that the artillery was discharged at night to
startle the natives. Hist. Conq. (ed. 1840), 85.
[486] It is so depicted in the old Nuremberg view of the city, already referred to.
Ramirez, Carbajal Espinosa, and Alaman give the extent, and the latter enters into
quite a lengthy account of its situation with respect to present and former outlines
of the quarter. Disert., ii. 202, etc.; Carbajal Espinosa, Hist. Mex., ii. 221-2;
Ramirez, notes in Prescott’s Mex. (ed. Mex. 1845), ii. app. 103. Humboldt places it
opposite the southern half of the western temple side, Essai Pol., i. 190, but that
site is assigned by all the above historians to the old palace of Montezuma, so
called—not the Axayacatl where Cortés was quartered. The mistake is probably
owing to his ignorance of the fact that the residence of the Cortés family stood first
on the site of the new palace of Montezuma, whence it was moved to that of the
old palace when the government bought the former.
[487] The Spaniards were also ‘costretti a scalzarsi, ed a coprirsi gli abiti sfarzosi
con vesti grossolane,’ says Clavigero, Storia Mess., iii. 83, but that is unlikely.
[488] ‘Con esto cumplimos, por ser el primer toque.’ Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad.,
67.
[489] ‘Â nosotros los soldados nos diò á cada vno dos collares de oro, que valdria
cada collar diez pesos, è dos cargas de mantas.’ The rest went to their officers. Id.
CHAPTER XVII.
CAPTURE OF THE EMPEROR.
November, 1519.
Cortés Inspects the City—Visits the Temple with Montezuma—Discovery

of Buried Treasure—Pretended Evidences of Treachery—Cortés
Plans a Dark Deed—Preparations for the Seizure of Montezuma—With
a Few Men Cortés Enters the Audience-Chamber of the King—
Persuasive Discourse—With Gentle Force Montezuma is Induced to
Enter the Lion’s Den.
Cortés failed not to make diligent inquiries and examinations into

the approaches, strength, and topography of the city, but he longed
for a view from one of the great temples which, rising high above all
other edifices, would enable him to verify his observations. He also
desired to obtain a closer insight into the resources of the place.
With these objects he sent to Montezuma for permission to make a
tour through the town to the Tlatelulco market and temple.[490] This
was granted; and attended by the cavalry and most of the soldiers,
all fully armed, Cortés set out for that suburb, guided by a number of
caciques. It was here that the largest market-place in the city was
situated.[491]
From this centre of trade the Spaniards proceeded to the lofty
temple, which occupied one end of the Tlatelulco market-place,[492]
and whither Montezuma had already gone to prepare for their
reception, and to propitiate the idols for the intrusion by prayers and
sacrifices. He hoped, no doubt, that his presence would prove a
check upon the impulsive hands and tongues of the guests.
Dismounting at the gate, the riders advanced with most of the
soldiers through the temple court, and climbed the one hundred and
more steps which led to the summit. Some priests and chiefs had
been sent by Montezuma to assist Cortés to ascend, but he
preferred to trust to himself. This pyramid, unlike that in Mexico
proper, appears to have had but one continuous stair-way leading up
the western slope.[493] The first sight which met the Spaniards on
reaching the summit was the sacrificial cage for holding victims, and
a large snake-skin drum, whose sombre tones gave appropriate
effect to the horrible rites enacted around it.
Montezuma came out of one of the chapels to welcome them,
expressing a fear that they must have been fatigued by the ascent,
but Cortés hastened to assure him that Spaniards never tired.
Calling their attention to the view here afforded of the city and its
surroundings, he stood silent for a while to let the beauteous vision
work its own enchantment. Around on every side spread the lake
and its connecting waters, bordered with prairies and fields. Forests
and towns intermingled on the green carpet, and extended far away
till they disappeared in the shadows of the hills. The soldiers
recognized the settlements and towns which they had passed, and
saw the causeways which on three sides connected with the
mainland. Beneath them lay a vast expanse of terraced roofs,
intersected by streets and canals teeming with passengers and
canoes. Here and there rose palatial edifices and towering temples,
interspersed with open squares, and with gardens shaded by trees
and relieved by the silvery jets of the fountain. At their feet lay the
market through which they had just passed, alive with busy
Lilliputians, whose talk and cries reached their ears in a confused
murmur. Cortés could not fail to be impressed by scenes so varied
and so attractive, but the æsthetic aspect was in him speedily
overshadowed by the practical sense of the military leader. Then
rose on high his soul as he thought to secure for Spain so rich an
inheritance as the great city with its vast population, and turning to
Father Olmedo he suggested that the site ought to be obtained for a
church; but the prudent friar remonstrated that the emperor
appeared to be in no mood to listen to such a proposal.
Cortés accordingly contented himself with asking to see the
idols, and after consulting the priests Montezuma led them past the
piscina with the vestal fire into the chapel. Withdrawing a tasselled
curtain he displayed the images, glittering with ornaments of gold
and precious stones, which at first drew the attention of the
beholders from the hideous form and features. Before them stood
the stone of sacrifice, still reeking with gore, and around lay the
instruments for securing the human victim and for tearing open the
breast. On one altar could be seen three hearts, and on the other
five, offered to the idols, and even now warm and palpitating with life.
The interior walls were so smeared with human blood as to obscure
their original color, and to emit a fetid odor which made the
Spaniards glad to reach the open air again.
Forgetting his prudence, Cortés expressed his wonder to
Montezuma that so great and wise a prince should worship
abominable demons like these. “Let me but plant a cross on this
summit,” he said, “and within the chapel place an image of the virgin,
and you shall behold the fear of the idols.” The eyes of the priests
were at this aflame with anger, and the emperor could hardly
suppress his indignation as he replied, “Malinche, had I suspected
that such insults were to be offered, I would not have shown you my
gods. They are good; they give us health, sustenance, victory, and
whatever we require. We adore them, and to them make our
sacrifices. I entreat you say not another word against them.”
Observing the effect his remarks had produced, Cortés thought it
best to restrain himself, and to express regrets at his hastiness.
Then with a forced smile he said that it was time to depart.
Montezuma bade them farewell. As for himself, he must remain to
appease the idols for the insult offered.[494]
Not at all abashed by his rebuff at the temple, Cortés asked
Montezuma to let him erect a church in his own quarters. Glad
probably at finding the Spanish pretensions in this respect so
modified, he not only assented, but gave artisans to aid in the work.
This was concluded within three days, and services henceforth held
therein, at which the Indians were always welcomed. A cross was
also erected before the entrance, so that the natives might be
impressed by the devotion of their visitors.
This effort in behalf of the faith was not to go unrequited. While
looking for the best site for the altar, says Bernal Diaz, Yañez, the
carpenter, discovered signs of a door-way recently closed and
plastered over. Cortés was told of this, and ever on the guard against
plots, he ordered the wall to be opened. Aladdin on entering the cave
could not have been more surprised than the Spaniards were on
stepping into the chamber there revealed. The interior fairly blazed
with treasures; bars of gold were there, nuggets large and small,
figures, implements, and jewelry of the same metal; and then the
silver, the rare bejewelled and embroidered fabrics, the prized
chalchiuite and other precious stones! Cortés allowed the favored
beholders to revel in the ecstasy created by the sight, but to their
greed he set a check. He had reasons for not disturbing the
treasures at this time, and gave orders to restore the wall, so that no
suspicions might be aroused that the deposit had been discovered.
[495]
One reason with Cortés for not touching the treasures was to
hold out an alluring bait to those who, more prone to listen to the
warnings of timid allies than to the ambitious promptings of their
leader, were ever ready to take alarm and urge withdrawal from a
position which they regarded as dangerous. Unbending in his
resolution, the general had nevertheless grasped all the perils of
their position. Hitherto no firm ground existed for alarm. They had
been a week in the capital, and were still receiving from all hands the
kindest treatment and the most generous hospitality. Cortés was
aware, however, that this depended on the favor of the emperor,
whose power over the submissive people resembled that of a god,
and whose person appeared to them as sacred as his will was
absolute. He had also learned that this monarch was a man
affrighted by his superstitions, and often influenced by trifling
circumstances; ready to strike where he had fawned the moment
before, and little bound by words or pledges, particularly when they
involved his own sovereignty. One misstep by the Spanish leader or
any of his men, ill-behaved and importunate as they were, according
to his own statement, might precipitate the change. The presence of
the hated Tlascaltecs was itself a burden, and the drain for
supporting the self-invited guests would soon be felt. The religious
topic had already created a momentary irritation, which might rankle
and grow under the promptings of the priests, who must naturally
object to rival interference.
Emperor and subjects were evidently restrained only by the
military prestige of the Spaniards, and to some extent by the belief in
their divine mission; but they were also aware that, whatever might
be the prowess of the visitors and the power of their weapons and
steeds, they were mortals, for this had been proved quite lately by
the unfortunate defeat of Escalante, and in the Nautla campaign.
The soldiers of Montezuma had but to raise the bridges of the
causeways and cut off retreat, then stop supplies and reduce them
by starvation. True, there was the fate of Cholula before the
Mexicans; but they had gained experience, and could mass vastly
more warriors and arms, while the Spaniards would have no allies in
reserve to operate in the rear. Besides, what mattered the
destruction of a part, or even of the entire city, when thereupon
depended the safety of the throne, menaced by a horde of cruel,
avaricious monsters!
Cortés had considered all these points, and knew the
expediency of resolute action. He had undertaken an enterprise
wherein one bold move must be supported by another, and to these
all means had to be subordinate. He had not come all this way to
place himself within the power of a suspicious and vacillating despot,
nor to waste his time in waiting for what events might bring forth,
while his enemies, headed by Velazquez, were arranging for his
overthrow. He had formed his plans long beforehand, as indicated in
his first letter to the king, wherein he promised to have the great
Montezuma “a prisoner, a corpse, or a subject to the royal crown of
your Majesty.”[496] Conquest, followed by settlement and conversion,
was his aim. It would not pay him to play for a smaller stake.
Just now rumors began to circulate tending to stir anew the fears
which Montezuma’s friendly and hospitable demeanor had soothed.
One was that the nobles had actually prevailed on the emperor to
break the bridges, to arm the whole city, and to fall on the Spaniards
with all available strength.[497] Soldiers were readily found who
fancied that the mayordomo was less obsequious than formerly, and
that he gave scantier supplies. It was also understood from
Tlascaltecs that the populace appeared less friendly during the last
day or two. These reports may have sprung wholly from timid minds
still agitated by the warnings uttered by Tlascaltecs before the
departure from Cholula, or they may have been promoted by Cortés
himself in furtherance of his plans. He at any rate seized the
pretence to hold a council, composed of Alvarado, Leon, Ordaz, and
Sandoval, together with twelve soldiers whose advice he most
valued, “including myself,” says Bernal Diaz. His chief reason was to
persuade them of the necessity for the measure he had resolved on,
and to win their hearty coöperation. Laying before them the current
rumors which confirmed the warnings formerly received, and
representing the unreliable and suspicious character of Montezuma,
his great power, and the peculiar position and strength of the city, he
concluded by proposing the daring venture of seizing the emperor
and holding him a hostage.[498]
Here was folly run mad! Four hundred men, after penetrating
formidable barriers and gaining the very heart of a great empire,
whose vast armies could oppose a thousand warriors to every
Spaniard there, coolly propose to take captive the worshipped
monarch of this vast realm, and then to defy its millions of subjects!
The wildest tales of mediæval knights hardly equal this project.
Reckless as was the conception, it was the fruit of yet greater
audacity. Cortés reared his structure of folly insensate upon the
platform of still greater insensate folly. If it was true that he had
practically placed himself in the position of a captive, then he would
cut the knot by capturing the captor. And yet, foolhardy as might
appear the scheme when coolly viewed from the isle of Cuba,
situated as the Spaniards were, it was doubtless the best they could
do; it was doubtless all they could do. The efficiency of hostages had
been frequently tried by the conquerors in the Antilles, and the
opportune seizure of the Cempoalan lord had not been forgotten; but
this had been effected under the impulse of the moment, while the
chieftain was surrounded by Spaniards. Here was required not only
a calm resolution, unflinching to the end, but a well laid stratagem.
Cortés stood prepared with both.
Producing the letter from Villa Rica, which had been kept secret
all this time, he gave an account of the unfortunate successes at
Almería, describing in exaggerated terms the treachery of
Quauhpopoca, and consequently of Montezuma as his master, and
stirring the feelings of the council by an appeal to avenge their
comrades.[499] Here was a pretence[500] which served also to set
aside the suggestion that the emperor would be only too glad to let
them depart in peace, for it was argued that a retreat now, since the
Spaniards stood revealed as mortals, would draw upon them not
only the contempt of allies and countrymen, but a general uprising,
with the most fatal results. Retreat meant also the surrender of all
hopes of wealth, preferment, and honor, to be followed by
punishment and disgrace for their irregular proceedings so far. With
Montezuma in their power, they possessed a hostage whose
sacredness in the eyes of his subjects insured their safety, and made
the people pliable to their will, while disaffected vassals could be
secured by alliances, or by the promise of reforms. Should the
seizure result in the monarch’s death, the succession would
doubtless become the cause of division and dissension, in the midst
of which the Spaniards might influence affairs in their own interest.
Thus were answered the various objections raised.
As for the manner of seizure, the safest plan would doubtless be
to inveigle Montezuma to their quarters and there detain him; but this
would cause delay, and might arouse suspicion,[501] and, since
prompt action was considered necessary, the best way would be to
seize him in his own palace. This was agreed upon, and the same
evening the facts and arguments were effectively presented to the
men and preparations made.
“All night,” writes Bernal Diaz, “we passed in earnest prayer, the
priests devoutly imploring God to so direct the undertaking that it
might redound to his holy service.”[502]
In the morning Cortés sent to announce that he would visit the
emperor. He then despatched a number of small parties as if for a
stroll, with orders to keep themselves in and near the palace, and on
the way to it, ready for any emergency. Twenty-five soldiers were
told to follow him, by twos and threes, into the audience-chamber,
whither he preceded them with Alvarado, Sandoval, Velazquez de
Leon, Francisco de Lugo, and Ávila.[503] All were armed to the teeth,
[504]and as the Mexicans had been accustomed to see them thus
equipped no suspicions were aroused. Montezuma proved on this
occasion to be particularly gracious, and after a brief chat he offered
several presents of finely wrought gold, and to Cortés he presented
one of his daughters, the captains being given women of rank from
his own harem, which was a mark of great favor.[505] Cortés sought
to decline for himself the favor, on the ground that he could not
marry. Montezuma nevertheless insisted, and he yielded not
unwillingly.[506]
Assuming a serious tone, the latter now produced the letter from
Villa Rica, and informed the emperor that he had received an
account of the outrageous conduct of Quauhpopoca, resulting in the
death of some of his men, and that he, the sovereign, had been
accused of being the instigator. Montezuma gave an indignant
denial,[507] and Cortés hastened to assure him that he believed the
charge to be false, but as commander of a party he had to account
for the men to his king, and must ascertain the truth. In this
Montezuma said he would aid him; and calling a trusted officer, he
gave him a bracelet from his wrist bearing the imperial signet—a
precious stone graven with his likeness[508]—bidding him to bring
Quauhpopoca and his accomplices, by force, if necessary.[509]
Cortés expressed himself pleased, but added that, in order to cover
his responsibility as commander, and to convince his men that the
emperor was indeed as innocent as Cortés believed him to be, it
would be advisable for him to come and stay at their quarters till the
guilty parties had been punished.[510]
Montezuma was dumfounded at this unhallowed impudence. He,
the august sovereign, before whom even princes prostrated
themselves, at whose word armies sprang into existence, and at
whose name mighty rulers trembled, he to be thus treated by a score
of men whom he had received as guests and loaded with presents,
and this in his own palace! For a moment he stood mute, but the
changing aspect of his countenance revealed the agitation within. At
last he exclaimed that he was not the person to be thus treated. He
would not go. They could always find him at his palace.
Cortés pleaded that his presence among the soldiers was
necessary, not merely as a declaration of his innocence, but to allay
the rumors which had reached them that he and his people were
plotting for their destruction. Montezuma again made an indignant
denial; but added that, even if he consented to go, his people would
never allow it. His refusal, insisted the general, would rouse the
worst suspicions of his men, and he could not answer for their acts.
Mexico might meet the fate of Cholula, and he with it.[511]
Montezuma now began to implore, and offered to surrender his
legitimate children as hostages if he were but spared the disgrace of
being made a prisoner. This could not be, was the reply. The
Spanish quarter was his own palace, and he could readily persuade
his subjects that he went there for a short time of his own accord, or
at the command of the gods.[512] He would be treated with every
consideration, and should enjoy his usual comfort, surrounded by
favorites and councillors. The plan involved no change beyond that
of residence, to a place where he would be under secret
surveillance.
Montezuma still objected, and time was passing.[513] The

companions of Cortés becoming nervous at this delay, Velazquez de
Leon exclaimed in his stentorian voice: “Why so many words, your
worship? Let us either carry him off or despatch him. Tell him that if
he calls out or creates a disturbance we shall kill him!”[514] Turning in
alarm to Marina, Montezuma inquired what was meant. Full of pity
for the troubled monarch, she told him that the men were becoming
impatient at his delay. She besought him, as he valued his life, to
accede to their wishes and go with them. He would be treated with
all the honor due to his rank. A glance at the frowning faces of the
Spaniards confirmed the mysterious words of the interpreter, and
chilled him to the heart. He had heard too many accounts of the
resolution and cruelty of these men not to believe them capable of
anything. Were he to call for aid they would no doubt kill him and
destroy the city; for few as they were they had proved themselves
equal to hosts of natives.
The unhappy monarch yielded, since it was so decreed—by the
sublime audacity of this score of adventurers. The spirit of Axayacatl
had evidently not survived in the son, and the prestige of his early
career as military leader had dwindled to a mere shadow in the
effeminate lap of court-life.[515] Summoning his attendants, he
ordered a litter brought. Everything had been quietly conducted, and
since none ventured to question the emperor, his command was
silently obeyed; but the mysterious interview and his agitation roused
their suspicions, and the rumor spread that something extraordinary
was about to happen. Wondering and murmuring crowds had
already collected along the route between the two palaces when the
emperor appeared. On seeing the sorrowing faces of the favorites
who bore him, and observing how closely it was surrounded by the
Spanish soldiers who acted as guard of honor, their fears became
confirmed. The distance to the quarters was too short, however, and
the news had not yet travelled far enough, to allow a serious
demonstration.[516] But not long after the plaza in front of it was
blocked with an excited multitude, and a number of leading
personages and relatives made their way into the presence of their
sovereign, asking with tearful eyes and knitted brows how they might
serve him. They were ready to lay down their lives to rescue him. He
assured them with a forced smile that there was no cause for alarm.
Too proud to disclose his pusillanimity, he readily echoed the words

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American Government Brief Version

11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

1. Public participation in elections is lowest in

3. A primary reason why people participate in politics is

8. Some states disenfranchise __________ for life.

9. The legal voting age in almost all other nations is

14. Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?

16. When eighteen-year-olds got the vote, they

19. VEP calculations attempt to

20. In most European nations, voter registration is

29. What is a major strategic problem that presidential candidates face?

33. The 2008 election was somewhat significant because it featured

34. In general elections, visuals

35. As a campaign tool, televised debates

36. In political terms, what does “Astroturf” mean?

38. Research has shown that negative ads

48. The “pocketbook vote” refers to how

51. In voting, the average person decides by

52. An electoral realignment occurs when

54. The 1932 realignment was brought on by

58. The most loyal supporters of the Democrats have been

62. The legal limit on what a congressional candidate may spend is

63. In congressional elections, higher campaign spending is especially important for

64. Today, the major source of congressional campaign money is

ANS: T REF: 177

ANS: T REF: 179

ANS: T REF: 179 |180

ANS: F REF: 181

ANS: F REF: 182

ANS: T REF: 182

ANS: F REF: 182

ANS: T REF: 183

ANS: T REF: 184

ANS: T REF: 187

ANS: F REF: 190

ANS: T REF: 191

ANS: T REF: 193

ANS: F REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 194

16. The Tea Party has no central leadership or policy.

ANS: T REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 195

ANS: T REF: 196

ANS: F REF: 197

ANS: F REF: 197

23. Prospective voting is more common among political activists.

ANS: T REF: 198

ANS: F REF: 199

25. A “blue state” is one where Democrats usually win.

ANS: T REF: 200

26. Split-ticket voting was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century.

ANS: T REF: 200

27. The Democrats usually win the votes of the poor.

ANS: F REF: 202

28. A PAC must have at least 150 members.

ANS: F REF: 205

ANS: T REF: 206

ANS: F REF: 210

1. What three facts have important implications for a theory of democracy?

Ancient Mexico. Taken from an Edition of the Letters of Cortés

[463] Herrera, who is usually moderate, swells the figure to 4000.