Talgua ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtalɣwa] ) is a municipality in the Honduran department of Lempira .
131-412: Talgua was founded in the colonial period in the place called "Las Mercedes" village. Also it was known as a village where Lenca Indians dwelled, by Pedro de Alvarado and his troops. In the administration of president Ramon Villeda Morales, on January 2, 1963, the capital was moved from Talagua to San Antonio de Pedernales. The old church is preserved as a relic. It is located right on top a small hill on
262-443: A 1959 article for The Atlantic Monthly , claimed that Prescott had an artificial eye, although there is no evidence to suggest this. It has been argued that Prescott's biographers have naturally been drawn to romanticize his life due to Prescott's own romantic style of history. Four biographies of Prescott have been written. In 1864, George Ticknor published a biography based on Prescott's then-unpublished correspondence, to which
393-578: A Christian cross was put up on one of them. From Cozumel, the fleet looped around the north of the Yucatán Peninsula and followed the coast to the Tabasco River. In Tabasco, the fleet anchored at Potonchán , a Chontal Maya town. The Maya prepared for battle but the Spanish horses and firearms quickly decided the outcome. From Potonchán, the fleet continued to San Juan de Ulua. The crew stayed only
524-791: A Spanish minister living in Mexico, and his wife Fanny who were able to provide source material, Prescott started research on what was to become the History of the Conquest of Mexico . He extensively read the works of Alexander von Humboldt , who had written on Mesoamerica , and started corresponding with the historian Washington Irving , the Swiss writer Sismondi and the French historian Jacques Nicolas Augustin Thierry . He also received assistance in collecting sources from
655-486: A Xinca army soon after leaving Taxisco. Many indigenous allies were killed and most of the baggage was lost, including all the crossbows and ironwork for the horses. This was a serious setback and Alvarado camped his army in Nancintla for eight days, during which time he sent two expeditions against the attacking army. Alvarado sent out Xinca messengers to make contact with the enemy but they failed to return. Messengers from
786-475: A broad plan of the work by February 1849. Prescott started writing the draft on July 26. At this time, Prescott was a creditor of John White Webster , the chemist and murderer, and he was subsequently involved in his trial. Prescott visited Washington D.C. in spring 1850, where he met Zachary Taylor , then President of the United States, as well as numerous other prominent figures, including Henry Bulwer ,
917-576: A bust from Richard Saltonstall Greenough . He was not active in researching for the Conquest of Peru until spring 1844, although he had already decided to write a work concerning Inca civilization while researching pre-Columbian Mexico, and listened to Inca Garcilaso de la Vega 's Comentarios Reales de los Incas . He further studied Pedro Cieza de León 's Crónicas del Perú , the works of Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa and Diego Fernández 's Primera y segunda parte de la Historia del Piru . Prescott's progress
1048-558: A college friend, Middleton, and a Dr. Lembke. In contrast to the lengthy time spent researching the History of Ferdinand and Isabella , Prescott started drafting the History of the Conquest of Mexico in October 1839. However, Prescott faced difficulties in writing the work which he had not encountered previously. There was relatively little scholarship on Aztec civilization, and Prescott dismissed much of it as "speculation", and he therefore had to rely almost exclusively on primary sources (with
1179-488: A different language altogether; these people were probably Xinca. At this point Alvarado's force consisted of 250 Spanish infantry accompanied by 6,000 indigenous allies, mostly Kaqchikel and Cholutec. Alvarado and his army defeated and occupied the most important Xinca city, named as Atiquipaque. The defending warriors were described by Alvarado as engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat using spears, stakes and poisoned arrows. The battle took place on 26 May 1524 and resulted in
1310-484: A diplomat had been expelled from Spain, made the acquaintance of two wealthy Parisian scholars, Mignet and Ternaux-Compans, who offered him access to their manuscript collections. Furthermore, de Gayangos assisted greatly by locating important documents in the British Museum and in the collection of the bibliomaniac Thomas Phillipps , who owned around 60,000 manuscripts. He also borrowed several manuscripts from
1441-440: A friendship with Hernán Cortés , who at the time was serving as public scribe. Alvarado joined Cortés to participate in the conquest of Cuba , under the command of Diego de Velázquez . The conquest of Cuba was launched in 1511, and Pedro de Alvarado was accompanied by his brothers. Soon after the invasion, Alvarado was managing a prosperous hacienda in the new colony. It is around this time that Pedro de Alvarado emerges into
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#17328583573931572-698: A historian. He took the place of Martín Fernández de Navarrete , who had died the previous year, after a vote was cast. He was also admitted to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin . In the summer of 1845, a collection of articles Prescott had published in the North American Review were published as Biographical and Critical Miscellanies by Bentley in octavo , and an edition was also prepared simultaneously by Harper & Brothers in New York. Prescott
1703-458: A house near the family home in Pepperell. Prescott's mother fell ill on May 17 and died soon after, which caused Prescott to fall into a bout of depression that lasted until the winter. He returned to his work, and continued at the pace that he was able through the remainder of 1852 and 1853, which passed uneventfully. Prescott started to suffer seriously from rheumatism during the former year, and as
1834-543: A lawyer in Boston. He married Josephine Augusta Peabody on November 6, 1851, and inherited Headquarters House. William Gardiner's daughter Catherine Elizabeth Prescott married Hebert Timmins on February 22, 1887. Elizabeth (1828–1864) married James Lawrence, a distant cousin. The youngest was William Amory (1830–1867). In 1837, he was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society . In 1845 Prescott
1965-506: A lawyer, and his wife, née Catherine Greene Hickling. His grandfather William Prescott served as a colonel during the American Revolutionary War . Prescott began formal schooling at the age of seven, studying under Mr. Jacob Knapp. The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts , in 1808, where his father's earnings substantially increased. His studies continued under Dr. John Gardiner, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church . As
2096-572: A lone ship could be lost. After this, the Spanish referred to the river as the Río de Alvarado ("Alvarado's River"). A little further along the coast, the fleet encountered settlements under Aztec dominion, and was met by Aztec emissaries with gifts of gold and jewels sent by the Emperor Moctezuma II . As punishment for entering the Papaloapan River without orders, Grijalva sent Alvarado with
2227-471: A number of difficulties confronted him in his study of Philip II. The principal archives of historical material were held in Simancas , but neither Lembke (who had collected materials for the Conquest of Mexico ) nor Middleton were able to gain access to them. They had been informed that the library was so disordered as to make productive research impossible, even if access had been gained. However, Lembke, who as
2358-534: A picture of him, the Aztecs referred to him as Tōnatiuh . The Aztecs gave Alvarado this name because of his blond hair, and also his infamous temper. He was handsome, and presented an affable appearance, but was volatile and quick to anger. He was ruthless in his dealings with the indigenous peoples he set out to conquer. Historians judge that his greed drove him to excessive cruelty, and his Spanish contemporaries denounced his extreme brutality during his lifetime. He
2489-494: A population of 10,420. Of these, 65.93% were Indigenous (65.81% Lenca ), 27.12% Mestizo , 4.78% White , 2.16% Black or Afro-Honduran and 0.01% others. 14°42′N 88°42′W / 14.700°N 88.700°W / 14.700; -88.700 This Honduras location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pedro de Alvarado Pedro de Alvarado ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ðe alβaˈɾaðo] ; c. 1485 – 4 July 1541)
2620-489: A reconceptualization of the nature of pre-Columbian society, the works remain broadly historically accurate, and Prescott's elaborations on fact were due to a fundamental lack of source material. In contrast, Phillip the Second is considered essentially an inferior piece—it lacks the epic structure and literary merits of Prescott's other work, and the work has not received more critical attention than other contemporary accounts of
2751-441: A reputation for greed and cruelty, and was accused of various crimes and abuses by natives and Spaniards alike. In 1541, while attempting to quell a native revolt, Alvarado was accidentally crushed by a horse, dying a few days later. Pedro de Alvarado was flamboyant and charismatic, and was both a brilliant military commander and a cruel, hardened man. He is described as having "good features and bearing", and when presented with
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#17328583573932882-569: A result he abandoned his residence at Nahant. He bought a house in the then rural town of Lynn, Massachusetts , where he was visited by Charles Lyell and his family in June 1853. On August 22, he finished the second volume of the History . The first two volumes were finished by May 1855, but not immediately published. Changes in British copyright law and a change of publishers caused Prescott to delay publication until November. Compared to his previous works,
3013-586: A second stroke, which resulted in his immediate death. He was buried with his parents in St. Paul's Church, and his funeral was attended by representatives, among others, of Harvard University , the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Essex Institute . Prescott's work has remained popular and influential to the present day, and his meticulous use of sources, bibliographical citations and critical notes
3144-548: A short time before relocating to a promontory near Quiahuiztlan and Cempoala , a subject city of the Aztec Empire. Some of the Spaniards stayed near the coast when Cortés journeyed inland but Alvarado accompanied Cortés on the inland march. While marching toward Tenochtitlan, the expedition made a slight detour to travel through Tlaxcalteca lands. The Tlaxcalteca attacked the Spanish force numerous times but they were unable to rout
3275-448: A significant reduction of the Xinca population. Alvarado's army continued eastwards from Atiquipaque, seizing several more Xinca cities. Because Alvarado and his allies could not understand the Xinca language, Alvarado took extra precautions on the march eastward by strengthening his vanguard and rearguard with ten cavalry apiece. In spite of these precautions the baggage train was ambushed by
3406-609: A smaller group in 1528) to bring the Pipil under Spanish control. In 1528 the conquest of Cuzcatlán was completed and the city of San Salvador was established. On 18 December 1527, the king of Spain named Alvarado as governor of Guatemala; two days later he granted him the coveted military title of Adelantado . Alvarado's close friendship with Cortés was broken in the same year; Alvarado had promised Cortés that he would marry Cecilia Vázquez, Cortes' cousin. Alvarado broke his promise and instead married Francisca de la Cueva. Technically, this
3537-461: A wide range of subjects, including Italian, French, English and Spanish literature, American history , classics and political philosophy , Prescott came to focus on Italian poetry . Among the works he studied during this period were such classics as Dante 's Divine Comedy and Boccaccio 's Decameron . His first published works were two essays in the North American Review —both discussing Italian poetry. The first of these, published in 1824,
3668-834: A young man, Prescott frequented the Boston Athenæum , which at the time held the 10,000-volume private library of John Quincy Adams , who was on a diplomatic mission to Russia . In 1832, Prescott became a trustee of the library, a position he held for 15 years. Prescott enrolled at Harvard College as a second year student ( sophomore ) in August 1811, at the age of 15. He was not considered academically distinguished, despite showing promise in Latin and Greek . Prescott found mathematics particularly difficult, and resorted to memorizing mathematical demonstrations word-for-word, which he could do with relative ease, in order to hide his ignorance of
3799-640: Is known of Pedro de Alvarado's early life before his arrival in the Americas. During the conquest of the Americas , tales of his youthful exploits in Spain became popular legends, but their veracity is doubtful. An example is the tale then current that when he was a youth awaiting passage to the Americas, he climbed the church tower in Seville with some friends. A banner pole extended some 3.0 to 3.7 metres (10 to 12 ft) from an upper window. One of his companions walked out to
3930-417: Is not possible to have coffee plantations, therefore the main economic activities are beans and corn crops, followed by commerce of groceries and other home supplies. Cattle raising is for local consumption only. Since it is near a river, some people obtain aggregates for concrete from it. Also it has electricity and mobile communication coverage. At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Talgua municipality had
4061-459: Is on the major political and military events as opposed to social and economic conditions. It has also been argued that Prescott partially subscribed to the Great Man theory . The Conquest of Mexico has endured more than any other of Prescott's work: it is regarded as his greatest literary accomplishment. However, modern scholarship agrees that there are problems with Prescott's characterization of
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4192-511: Is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian. Despite having serious visual impairment, which at times prevented him from reading or writing for himself, Prescott became one of the most eminent historians of 19th century America. He is also noted for his eidetic memory , also called "photographic memory". After an extensive period of study, during which he sporadically contributed to academic journals, Prescott specialized in late Renaissance Spain and
4323-654: The Aztecs desist from idol worship and human sacrifice ; in order to ensure their own safety, the Spaniards took the Aztec king Moctezuma hostage. When Cortés returned to the Gulf coast to deal with the newly arrived hostile expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez , Alvarado remained in Tenochtitlan as commander of the Spanish enclave, with strict orders to make sure that Moctezuma not be permitted to escape. During Cortés' absence, relations between
4454-573: The College of William and Mary in July 1841 and South Carolina College in December 1841. He also helped Frances Inglis find a publisher for her autobiographical work Life in Mexico . Moreover, Frances Inglis was one of Prescott's most valuable correspondents during the writing of the History of the Conquest of Mexico. She is cited by Prescott five times throughout the text, and is described by him as, "one of
4585-472: The Conquest of Peru . In March, his eyesight, which had recovered significantly, suddenly deteriorated. Prescott also had acute dyspepsia and rheumatism , and he travelled to Nahant to "benefit from the sea-air". This did not prevent him travelling to Washington, where he dined at the White House with President James K. Polk . He was also entertained by John Y. Mason , the former United States Secretary of
4716-452: The History in October 1829. At around this time, Prescott read the works of Gabriel Bonnot de Mably , including his historiographical piece De l’étude de l’histoire . He henceforth aimed to write history to de Mably's romantic ideal, and on more than one occasion expressed his indebtedness to him. Prescott also encountered Elogia de la Réina Doña Isabel , by his Spanish contemporary Diego Clemencín , which helped shape his views concerning
4847-500: The History received little coverage in the press or in academic journals. It was suggested to him at this time that he should write a biography of Charles V, but he declined, as he regarded the work of William Robertson on the subject to be definitive. However, he wrote an appendix to Robertson's The History of the reign of Charles V in May 1855; it was published in December 1856. Previously uninterested in politics (although he had predicted
4978-548: The History of Ferdinand and Isabella in June 1839, he produced an abridgement of the work himself, which resulted in the original project's cancellation. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in May 1839. Prescott expressed interest in his correspondence in writing a biography of Molière , and Ticknor records that he sent Prescott "a collection of about 50 volumes" of relevant material. However, after writing to Ángel Calderón de la Barca ,
5109-547: The Samalá River in western Guatemala. This region formed a part of the K'iche' kingdom , and a K'iche' army tried unsuccessfully to prevent the Spanish from crossing the river. Once across, the conquistadors ransacked nearby settlements in an effort to terrorise the K'iche'. On 8 February 1524 Alvarado's army fought a battle at Xetulul, called Zapotitlán by his Mexican allies (modern San Francisco Zapotitlán ). Although suffering many injuries inflicted by defending K'iche' archers,
5240-568: The Whig victory in 1840 , ) Prescott supported and voted for the Republican John C. Frémont in the 1856 Presidential election . He continued to work on the third volume of the History until he had a stroke on February 3, 1858. Prescott recovered, but his health was permanently affected, and he decided to temporarily retire from writing. The third volume was therefore published in April, and its scope
5371-548: The 20th century, and that Prescott used a broader range of source material than any previous writer on the subject. However, the archeological and anthropological aspects of both works have been heavily criticized by historians since the end of the 19th century. Prescott had never visited archeological sites in Mesoamerica and his understanding of Inca and Aztec culture was weak. In defense of Prescott, it has been argued that despite advances in archeological understanding, and
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5502-615: The British ambassador, and Daniel Webster , the former Secretary of State , who had been a friend of Prescott's father. Soon afterward, he decided to visit England. He embarked from New York on May 22, and arrived at Liverpool on June 3. There he stayed with an old friend, Alexander Smith, and became reacquainted with Mary Lyell, the wife of the geologist Charles Lyell . He traveled with the Lyells to London, where they stayed in Mivart's Hotel . Prescott
5633-710: The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V , returning to London on July 29. Traveling north, Prescott visited Alnwick Castle and the ruins of Hulm Abbey in Northumbria . On his arrival in Edinburgh, he met the geologists Adam Sedgwick and Roderick Murchison , whom he accompanied to Inveraray , where he visited Inveraray Castle . Prescott then traveled south, through Staffordshire , where he was entertained by George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower . He embarked for New York on September 14, arriving on September 27. Prescott spent
5764-461: The K'iche' militarily and they asked for peace and offered tribute, inviting Pedro de Alvarado into their capital Q'umarkaj , which was known as Tecpan Utatlan to the Nahuatl-speaking allies of the Spanish. Alvarado was deeply suspicious of the K'iche' intentions but accepted the offer and marched to Q'umarkaj with his army. In March 1524 Pedro de Alvarado entered Q'umarkaj at the invitation of
5895-571: The Kaqchikel capital on 23 July 1524 and on 27 July, Pedro de Alvarado declared Iximche as the first capital of Guatemala, Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala ("St. James of the Knights of Guatemala"). The Kaqchikel appear to have entered into an alliance with the Spanish to defeat their enemies, the Tz'utujil, whose capital was Tecpan Atitlan. Pedro de Alvarado sent two Kaqchikel messengers to Tecpan Atitlan at
6026-638: The Navy , who informed him that a copy of Prescott's Conquest of Mexico had been placed in the library of every fighting ship. The Conquest of Peru was completed in March 1847. As with previous works, it was published by Harper & Brothers in the United States and Bentley in Britain. The original US print run was 7,500 copies, and the books were sold for $ 1 each. It was translated into Spanish, French, German and Dutch, and sold excellently. As with his previous works, it
6157-601: The New World. The only one of the Alvarado brothers that appears in the registers is Juan de Alvarado, in 1511, leading to the assumption that the rest were already in the Americas by the time the licensing system was established. The Alvarado brothers stopped off at Hispaniola , but there are few mentions of their stay there in historical documents. Soon after arriving in Santo Domingo , on Hispaniola, Pedro de Alvarado established
6288-560: The Pipil lords demanding their surrender, otherwise he would lay waste to their lands. According to Alvarado's letter to Cortés, the Pipil came back to the town and submitted to him, accepting the king of Spain as their overlord. The Spanish force camped in the captured town for eight days. A few years later, in 1529, Pedro de Alvarado was accused of using excessive brutality in his conquest of Izcuintepeque, amongst other atrocities. In Guazacapán , Pedro de Alvarado described his encounter with people who were neither Maya nor Pipil, speaking
6419-459: The Pipil of Panacal or Panacaltepeque near Izcuintepeque on 9 May. Alvarado described the terrain approaching the town as very difficult, covered with dense vegetation and swampland that made the use of cavalry impossible; instead he sent men with crossbows ahead. The Pipil withdrew their scouts because of the heavy rain, believing that the Spanish and their allies would not be able to reach the town that day. Pedro de Alvarado pressed ahead and when
6550-538: The Spaniards and their hosts went from bad to worse, and Alvarado perpetrated the Massacre in the Great Temple , killing Aztec nobles and priests observing a religious festival. Alvarado claims he did so because he feared the Aztecs were plotting against him but there is no physical evidence to support this claim and the alleged warnings he received came from tortured captives that very likely would have said anything to make
6681-445: The Spaniards' indigenous allies and managed to kill one of the Spanish soldiers. At this point Alvarado decided to have the captured K'iche' lords burnt to death, and then proceeded to burn the entire city. After the destruction of Q'umarkaj and the execution of its rulers, Pedro de Alvarado sent messages to Iximche , capital of the Kaqchikel, proposing an alliance against the remaining K'iche' resistance. On 14 April 1524, soon after
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#17328583573936812-536: The Spanish Crown to establish ordered taxation in Guatemala, and refused to acknowledge such attempts. As governor of Guatemala, Alvarado has been described by W. George Lovell et al. as "an insatiable despot who recognized no authority but his own and who regarded Guatemala as little more than his personal estate." American historian William H. Prescott described Alvarado's character in the following terms: Alvarado
6943-455: The Spanish and their allies stormed the town and set up camp in the marketplace. Alvarado then turned to head upriver into the Sierra Madre mountains towards the K'iche' heartlands, crossing the pass into the fertile valley of Quetzaltenango. On 12 February 1524 Alvarado's Mexican allies were ambushed in the pass and driven back by K'iche' warriors but the Spanish cavalry charge that followed
7074-413: The Spanish entered the town the defenders were completely unprepared, with the Pipil warriors indoors sheltering from the torrential rain. In the battle that ensued, the Spanish and their indigenous allies suffered minor losses but the Pipil were able to flee into the forest, sheltered from Spanish pursuit by the weather and the vegetation. Pedro de Alvarado ordered the town to be burnt and sent messengers to
7205-509: The Spanish forces. After making an alliance with the Tlaxcalteca, the Spanish went on to conquer the Aztecs. Alvarado commanded one of the eleven vessels in the fleet and also acted as Cortés' second in command during the expedition's first stay in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlán . Relations between the Spaniards and their hosts were uneasy, especially given Cortés' repeated insistence that
7336-474: The Spanish. Alvarado's letter to Hernán Cortés describing his passage through Soconusco is lost, and knowledge of events there come from the account of Bernal Díaz del Castillo , who was not present, but related the report of Gonzalo de Alvarado. By 1524, Soconusco had been completely pacified by Alvarado and his forces. Pedro de Alvarado and his army advanced along the Pacific coast unopposed until they reached
7467-599: The United States in the same year. Prescott's first academic work, an essay submitted anonymously, was rejected by the North American Review in late 1817. After a short period of courtship, he married Susan Amory, the daughter of Thomas Coffin Amory and Hannah Rowe Linzee, on May 4, 1820. In 1821, Prescott abandoned the idea of a legal career because of the continued deterioration of his eyesight, and resolved to devote himself to literature. Although he initially studied
7598-533: The age of 82 on December 8, which deeply upset him. He took a two-month break from writing to support his widowed mother and settle matters concerning his father's estate. His father left numerous stocks, shares and property that amounted to $ 343,737, almost all of which was shared between Prescott and his sister. Prescott was elected to the Institut de France in February 1845, in recognition of his accomplishments as
7729-427: The approach to Quetzaltenango in his 3rd letter to Hernán Cortés Cortés despatched Pedro de Alvarado to invade Guatemala with 180 cavalry, 300 infantry, crossbows, muskets, 4 cannons, large amounts of ammunition and gunpowder, and thousands of allied Mexican warriors. Pedro de Alvarado passed through Soconusco with a sizeable force in 1523, en route to conquer Guatemala. Alvarado's army included hardened veterans of
7860-719: The archives in Brussels, having received letters from the respected Belgian diplomat Sylvain Van de Weyer in London. de Gayangos became Professor of Arabic literature at the Complutense University of Madrid in late 1842, and subsequently lent Prescott rare books and manuscripts from the university library. By the summer of 1848, Prescott had over 300 works on the subject at his disposal, but he continued to have serious problems with his eyesight; an examination by an oculist confirmed that there
7991-448: The city of Pazaco , in the modern department of Jutiapa, offered peace to the conquistadors but when Alvarado arrived there the next day the inhabitants were preparing for war. Alvarado's troops encountered a sizeable quantity of gathered warriors and quickly routed them through the city's streets. From Pazaco, Alvarado crossed the Río Paz and entered what is now El Salvador. Alvarado led
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#17328583573938122-439: The coast. On Ascension Thursday the fleet discovered a large bay, which the Spanish named Bahía de la Ascensión. Grijalva did not land at any of these cities and turned back north to loop around the north of the Yucatán Peninsula and sail down the west coast. At Campeche the Spanish opened fire against the city with small cannon; the inhabitants fled, allowing the Spanish to take the abandoned city. The Maya remained hidden in
8253-485: The concluding chapter of the work in July 1836, and despite the amount of time and effort which he had spent on the work, was at first unsure about publishing it. However, his father argued that refusing to do so would amount to cowardice, and this swayed him. Prescott had previously considered publishing the work in London first, and therefore a printed draft copy of the work was sent to a Colonel Aspinwall for consideration. However, both Longman and Murray, which were at
8384-455: The conquest of the Aztecs, and included cavalry and artillery; there were also a great many indigenous allies from Cholula , Tenochtitlan, Texcoco , Tlaxcala , and Xochimilco . Alvarado was received in peace in Soconusco, and the inhabitants swore allegiance to the Spanish Crown. They reported that neighbouring groups in Guatemala were attacking them because of their friendly outlook towards
8515-413: The conquest. David Levin has argued that the Conquest shows "inadequate attention to detail" and remains a broad and general account of events. In contrast to the Conquest of Mexico , the Conquest of Peru has received relatively little modern scholarly attention, perhaps due to some key similarities in style and structure. However, it is generally thought that the work was the authoritative account until
8646-488: The defeat of the K'iche', the Spanish were invited into Iximche and were well received by the lords Belehe Qat and Cahi Imox. The Kaqchikel kings provided native soldiers to assist the conquistadors against continuing K'iche' resistance and to help with the defeat of the neighbouring Tz'utuhil kingdom. The Spanish only stayed briefly in Iximche before continuing through Atitlán, Escuintla and Cuscatlán . The Spanish returned to
8777-541: The delicate position he occupied, was a quality of more worth than all the rest. Spanish chronicler Antonio de Remesal commented that "Alvarado desired more to be feared than loved by his subjects, whether they were Indians or Spaniards." In his easy recourse to violence, Alvarado was a product of his time, and Alvarado was not the only conquistador to have resorted to such actions. Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro carried out deeds of similar cruelty, but have not attracted as much criticism as Alvarado. Pedro de Alvarado
8908-527: The early Spanish Empire . His works on the subject, The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic (1837), The History of the Conquest of Mexico (1843), A History of the Conquest of Peru (1847) and the unfinished History of the Reign of Phillip II (1856–1858) have become classic works in the field, and have had a great impact on the study of both Spain and Mesoamerica . During his lifetime, he
9039-457: The end of the pole after removing his cloak and sword, and returned to the tower backwards. Alvarado, afraid of being mocked, walked out onto the pole with both sword and cloak, and turned around at the end to return to the tower facing it. Alvarado's paternal grandfather was Juan Alvarado "el Viejo" ("the elder"), who was comendador of Hornachos , and his paternal grandmother was Catalina Messía. Pedro de Alvarado's uncle on his father's side
9170-579: The exception of Humboldt). In particular, he considered Edward King 's theory that the pre-Columbian civilizations were non-indigenous to be fallacious, although he was greatly indebted to him for his anthology of Aztec codices in the Antiquities of Mexico . Prescott also studied Spanish writers contemporary to the conquest, most significantly Torquemada and Toribio de Benavente . Prescott received three honorary degrees in this period—an honorary doctorate in laws from Columbia University in autumn 1840,
9301-529: The feast day of St. John. Alvarado's company was the first to make it to the Tlateloco marketplace, setting fire to the Aztec shrines. Cortés' and Sandoval's companies joined him there after four more days of fighting. ... we waited until they came close enough to shoot their arrows, and then we smashed into them; as they had never seen horses, they grew very fearful, and we made a good advance ... and many of them died. Pedro de Alvarado describing
9432-507: The first effort by Spanish forces to extend their dominion to the nation of Cuzcatlan (in modern El Salvador ), in June 1524. These efforts established many towns such as San José Acatempa in 1525 and Esquipulas in 1560. Spanish efforts were firmly resisted by the indigenous people known as the Pipil and their Mayan speaking neighbors. Despite Alvarado's initial success in the Battle of Acajutla ,
9563-524: The forest, so the Spanish boarded their ships and continued along the coast. At Champotón , the fleet was approached by a small number of large war canoes, but the ships' cannon soon put them to flight. At the mouth of the Tabasco River the Spanish sighted massed warriors and canoes but the natives did not approach. By means of interpreters, Grijalva indicated that he wished to trade and bartered wine and beads in exchange for food and other supplies. From
9694-468: The forests and hills on 28 August 1524. Ten days later the Spanish declared war on the Kaqchikel. Two years later, on 9 February 1526, a group of sixteen Spanish deserters burnt the palace of the Ahpo Xahil , sacked the temples and kidnapped a priest, acts that the Kaqchikel blamed on Pedro de Alvarado. The Kaqchikel kept up resistance against the Spanish for a number of years. On 9 May 1530, exhausted by
9825-456: The historical record as a prosperous and influential hacienda -owner, already well connected with Velázquez, who was now governor of Cuba . Diego Velázquez, the governor of Cuba, was enthused by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba 's report of gold in the newly discovered Yucatán Peninsula . He organised an expedition consisting of four ships and 260 men. He placed his nephew Juan de Grijalva in overall command; Pedro de Alvarado captained one of
9956-601: The history of Spain after his friend, the Harvard professor George Ticknor , sent him copies of his lectures on the subject. Prescott's studies initially remained broad, but he started preparing material on Ferdinand and Isabella in January 1826. His acquaintance Pascual de Gayangos y Arce helped him construct a sizable personal library of historical books and manuscripts concerning the subject. Alexander Hill Everett , an American diplomat in Spain, also provided him with material which
10087-460: The history was Leopold von Ranke 's Fürsten und Völker von Süd-Europa im sechzehnten und siebzehnten Jahrhundert , a comprehensive work which included a detailed history of the papacy . Prescott admired Ranke's empirical historical method , and considered his work to be the best of his predecessors on the subject. He had four copies of the relevant sections of the work reprinted in a large typeface so he could read it without assistance. He had made
10218-557: The home of the Bishop of Oxford , Samuel Wilberforce , who was absent because of the christening of the infant Prince Arthur . Prescott met Spencer Compton , the president of the Royal Society , who was also receiving an honorary degree. He left London for Paris, where he arrived on July 20. Two days later, he traveled to Brussels, where he stayed in Coudenberg , the site of a residence of
10349-449: The indigenous people of Cuzcatlán, who according to tradition were led by a warlord called Atlácatl , defeated the Spaniards and their auxiliaries, and forced them to withdraw to Guatemala. Alvarado was wounded on his left thigh , remaining handicapped for the rest of his life. He abandoned the war and appointed his brother, Gonzalo de Alvarado, to continue the task. Two subsequent expeditions were required (the first in 1525, followed by
10480-585: The inland estates of Cuba. The crew included officers that would become famous conquistadors, including Cristóbal de Olid , Gonzalo de Sandoval and Diego de Ordaz . Also aboard were Francisco de Montejo and Bernal Díaz del Castillo , veterans of the Grijalva expedition. Alvarado once again commanded the San Sebastián , with 60 men under his orders. The fleet made its first landfall at Cozumel, and remained there for several days. Maya temples were cast down and
10611-576: The island of São Miguel in the Azores , where his grandfather and Portuguese grandmother lived. After two weeks, he left for the cooler climate of London, where he stayed with the distinguished surgeon Astley Cooper and the oculist William Adams . Prescott first used a noctograph while staying with Adams; the tool became a permanent feature of his life, allowing him to write independently in spite of his impaired eyesight. He visited Hampton Court Palace with future American president John Quincy Adams , at
10742-582: The island. This battle took place on 18 April. The following day the Spanish entered Tecpan Atitlan but found it deserted. Pedro de Alvarado camped in the centre of the city and sent out scouts to find the enemy. They managed to catch some locals and used them to send messages to the Tz'utujil lords, ordering them to submit to the king of Spain. The Tz'utujil leaders responded by surrendering to Pedro de Alvarado and swearing loyalty to Spain, at which point Alvarado considered them pacified and returned to Iximche. Three days after Pedro de Alvarado returned to Iximche,
10873-454: The lakeshore after a day's hard march, without encountering any opposition. Seeing the lack of resistance, Alvarado rode ahead with 30 cavalry along the lake shore. Opposite a populated island the Spanish at last encountered hostile Tz'utujil warriors and charged among them, scattering and pursuing them to a narrow causeway across which the surviving Tz'utujil fled. The rest of Alvarado's army soon reinforced his party and they successfully stormed
11004-531: The later biographers have been greatly indebted. Rollo Ogden 's 1904 account is more a stylistic modernization of Ticknor's work. Harry Thurston Peck 's 1905 account is considered academically inferior due to its essentially derivative nature. C. Harvey Gardiner's 1969 work is considered the definitive critical biography of Prescott, taking into account a wide range of unpublished documents that were unavailable to earlier biographers. The City of Prescott in Arizona
11135-591: The lords of the Tz'utujil arrived there to pledge their loyalty and offer tribute to the conquistadors. A short time afterwards a number of lords arrived from the Pacific lowlands to swear allegiance to the king of Spain. Pedro de Alvarado rapidly began to demand gold in tribute from the Kaqchikels, souring the friendship between the two peoples. He demanded that their kings deliver 1000 gold leaves, each worth 15 pesos . The Kaqchikel people abandoned their city and fled to
11266-543: The monarch's life. There is a popular misconception that Prescott was completely blind, which seems to have stemmed from a misunderstanding of his comment in the preface to The Conquest of Mexico , in which he stated, "Nor have I ever corrected, or even read, my own original draft". The myth was further propagated by a contemporary New York review of the Conquest , and has been a common theme in popular accounts of his work. Other related embellishments of Prescott's disability have also occurred— Samuel Eliot Morison , writing in
11397-399: The monarchs' political roles. Due to further problems with his eyesight, it took him sixteen months to write the first three hundred pages of the History . It was largely finished by 1834, but Prescott dedicated two years to abridging and redrafting it. He was also briefly engaged in writing a biography of Charles Brockden Brown for Jared Sparks ' Library of American Biography . Prescott
11528-422: The most delightful of modern travellers." Prescott found it difficult to evaluate Mesoamerican scientific and mathematical achievements, because of his relative ignorance of those subjects. While working in Boston in 1841, he met George Howard , who was to stay a close friend for the remainder of his life. Prescott worked industriously throughout 1840–1842, and as a result, the work was finished by August 1843. It
11659-538: The natives they received a few gold trinkets and news of the riches of the Aztec Empire to the west. The expedition continued far enough to confirm the reality of the gold-rich empire, sailing as far north as Pánuco River . At the Papaloapan River , Alvarado ordered his ship upriver, leaving the rest of the small fleet behind to wait for him at the river mouth. This action greatly angered Grijalva, who feared that
11790-460: The rear-guard and was badly wounded. According to satirical verses by Gonzalo Ocampo, in reference to Alvarado crossing a causeway gap during the escape, Alvarado's escape became known as Salto de Alvarado ("Alvarado's Leap"). Pedro then participated in the Siege of Tenochtitlan , commanding one of four forces under Cortés. Alvarado was wounded when Cuauhtemoc attacked all three Spanish camps on
11921-617: The remaining lords of the K'iche' after their catastrophic defeat, fearing that he was entering a trap. He encamped on the plain outside the city rather than accepting lodgings inside. Fearing the great number of K'iche' warriors gathered outside the city and that his cavalry would not be able to manoeuvre in the narrow streets of Q'umarkaj, he invited the leading lords of the city, Oxib-Keh (the king) and Beleheb-Tzy (the king elect) to visit him in his camp. As soon as they did so, he seized them and kept them as prisoners in his camp. The K'iche' warriors, seeing their lords taken prisoner, attacked
12052-432: The request of the Kaqchikel lords, both of whom were killed by the Tz'utujil. When news of the killing of the messengers reached the Spanish at Iximche, the conquistadors marched against the Tz'utujil with their Kaqchikel allies. Pedro de Alvarado left Iximche just 5 days after he had arrived there, with 60 cavalry, 150 Spanish infantry and an unspecified number of Kaqchikel warriors. The Spanish and their allies arrived at
12183-519: The ship San Sebastián to relay news of the discoveries back to Cuba. Alvarado made a triumphal entry to Santiago de Cuba , with a great display of the wealth that had been gained from the expedition. His early arrival in Cuba allowed him to ingratiate himself with the Governor Velázquez before Grijalva's return. The rest of the fleet put into the port of Havana five months after it had left. Grijalva
12314-431: The ships. The small fleet was stocked with crossbows , muskets , barter goods, salted pork and cassava bread . The fleet left Cuba in April 1518, and made its first landfall upon the island of Cozumel , off the east coast of Yucatán. The Maya inhabitants of Cozumel fled the Spanish; the fleet then sailed south from Cozumel, along the east coast of the peninsula. The Spanish spotted three large Maya cities along
12445-404: The side of a river. But there are high mountains around its capital and some of these belong to Copán department. The weather is hot because of the elevation from sea level and the vegetation, which consists of dry sub tropical forest. Some pine trees are seen on the highest hills. Its boundaries are: Talgua is of the poorest municipalities of the department. Due to its elevation from sea level
12576-787: The sources on which the History of Ferdinand and Isabella was to be based. In spring 1828, Prescott visited Washington, where he and Ticknor dined with John Quincy Adams at the White House , and saw Congress in session. Due in part to his own condition, Prescott was interested in aiding the blind and partially sighted. The Perkins School for the Blind , then known as the New England Asylum, had been founded in Boston, Massachusetts by Samuel Gridley Howe , Thomas Handasyd Perkins and John Dix Fisher and 28 others in 1829. Prescott involved himself from
12707-529: The subject. Prescott's eyesight degenerated after being hit in the eye with a crust of bread during a food fight as a student, and it remained weak and unstable throughout the rest of his life. Prescott was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa Society as a senior, which he considered a great personal honor, and graduated from Harvard in 1814. After a short period of rheumatic illness, he embarked on an extended tour of Europe. Prescott first traveled to
12838-671: The task. However, this could only be a temporary arrangement, and he was replaced by a man named Hamilton Parker, who held the position for a year. Eventually George Ticknor, who was by then in charge of the department of modern literature at Harvard University, found James L. English, who worked with Prescott until 1831. Among the books studied by Prescott in this period, Ticknor lists Juan Antonio Llorente 's Historia crítica de la Inquisición de España , Historia de los Reyes Católicos don Fernando y doña Isabel by Andrés Bernáldez [ es ] , Voltaire 's Charles XII and William Roscoe 's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici , which were to be
12969-607: The time a diplomat in London, where they saw the Raphael Cartoons . In August 1816, Prescott traveled to Paris, but later moved on to Italy, where he spent the winter. He returned to Paris in early 1817, where he chanced to meet the American Hispanist George Ticknor , and made another visit to England. Prescott spent some time in Cambridge , where he saw the manuscripts of Isaac Newton 's works, and returned to
13100-519: The time the leading British publishers, refused the work, and Prescott decided to postpone. The History of Ferdinand and Isabella was published on Christmas Day, 1837 by the American Stationery Company, Boston , with a print run of 500 copies. It was dedicated to his father. To the surprise of Prescott and the publisher, the book sold very well—the original print run was insufficient to adequately supply Boston's bookshops, let alone
13231-408: The torture stop. When Cortés returned to Tenochtitlan, he found the Spanish force under siege. After Moctezuma was killed in the attempt to negotiate with his own people, the Spaniards determined to escape by fighting their way across one of the causeways that led from the city across the lake and to the mainland. In a bloody nocturnal action of 10 July 1520, known as La Noche Triste , Alvarado led
13362-524: The very start of the project, becoming a trustee in 1830. He published an article in support of education for the blind in the North American Review of July 1830, and helped to raise $ 50,000 for the organization in May 1833. His work was disturbed in February 1829 by the unexpected death of his eldest daughter Catherine, who was only four years old. This led him to reconsider his position on religion—previously an agnostic , his interest in Christianity
13493-474: The warfare that had seen the deaths of their best warriors and the enforced abandonment of their crops, the two kings of the most important clans returned from the wilds. A day later they were joined by many nobles and their families and many more people; they then surrendered at the new Spanish capital at Ciudad Vieja . On 8 May 1524, Pedro de Alvarado continued southwards to the Pacific coastal plain with an army numbering approximately 6000, where he defeated
13624-622: The whole nation's. It was first published in London by Richard Bentley in early 1838. The work received excellent critical reviews, both in America and in Britain, where Henry Vassall-Fox and Robert Southey expressed their admiration of the work. It was also noticed in France, despite the fact that a French translation was not available at the time. Prescott was adamant that his work should not be altered by anyone other than himself, and when he heard that his publishers were considering an abridgement of
13755-401: The winter in Boston, and returned to the composition of his work. He gradually changed the focus of the History , deciding that he was a better writer of history than biography and worked solidly for the next two years, alternating between Boston and Nahant. This period was interrupted only by the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth in early 1852. Her husband was James Alexander; they settled in
13886-690: The work included George Hillard in the North American Review , George Ticknor Curtis in the Christian Examiner , Joseph Cogswell in the Methodist Quarterly , as well as the Dean of St. Paul's , Henry Hart Milman in the Quarterly Review . However, the Mexican author José Fernando Ramírez was a critic of the work. In 1844, Prescott was painted by Joseph Alexander Ames , and also commissioned
14017-512: Was Diego de Alvarado y Messía, who was the comendador of Lobón , Puebla , and Montijo , alcalde of Montánchez , and lord of Castellanos and of Cubillana. Diego was a veteran of the campaigns against the Moors . Alvarado and his brothers crossed the Atlantic Ocean before 1511, possibly in 1510. By 1511 a system of licenses had been established in Spain to control the flow of colonists to
14148-589: Was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala . He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva 's exploration of the coasts of the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico , and in the conquest of the Aztec Empire led by Hernán Cortés . He is considered the conquistador of much of Central America, including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and parts of Nicaragua. During his life, Alvarado developed
14279-533: Was a cavalier of high family, gallant and chivalrous, and [Cortes'] warm personal friend. He had talents for action, was possessed of firmness and intrepidity, while his frank and dazzling manners made the Tonatiuh an especial favourite with the Mexicans. But, underneath this showy exterior, the future conqueror of Guatemala concealed a heart rash, rapacious, and cruel. He was altogether destitute of that moderation, which, in
14410-555: Was a poor governor of territories he had conquered, and restlessly sought out new adventures. His tactical brutality, such as the massacre in the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan , often undermined strategic considerations. He was also accused of cruelty against fellow Spaniards. Alvarado was little suited to govern; when he held governing positions, he did little to establish stable foundations for colonial rule. His letters show no interest in civil matters, and he only discussed exploration and war. Alvarado stubbornly resisted attempts by
14541-463: Was a shock for the K'iche', who had never before seen horses. The cavalry scattered the K'iche' and the army crossed to the city of Xelaju (modern Quetzaltenango) only to find it deserted. Almost a week later, on 18 February 1524, a K'iche' army confronted the Spanish army in the Quetzaltenango valley and were comprehensively defeated; many K'iche' nobles were among the dead. This battle exhausted
14672-526: Was also well-received critically. Shortly after the publication of the Conquest of Peru , Prescott turned his mind to writing a history of Philip II of Spain , which he had been contemplating for several years. John Lothrop Motley , who planned to write an independent work on the subject, was aided by Prescott, who gave him access to his library. Although the two corresponded, there seems to have been little collaboration on their respective works. Prescott had started searching for sources as early as 1842, but
14803-400: Was born in 1485 in the town of Badajoz , Extremadura . His father was Gómez de Alvarado, and his mother was Leonor de Contreras, Gómez's second wife. Pedro de Alvarado had a twin sister, Sarra, and four full-blood brothers, Jorge , Gonzalo , Gómez , and Juan. Pedro had an illegitimate half brother, also named Juan, referred to in contemporary sources as Juan el Bastardo . Very little
14934-473: Was coldly received by the governor, who Alvarado had turned against him, claiming much of the glory of the expedition for himself. Grijalva's return aroused great interest in Cuba. A new expedition was organised, with a fleet of eleven ships carrying 500 men and some horses. Hernán Cortés was placed in command; Pedro de Alvarado and his brothers Jorge, Gómez and Juan "El Bastardo" joined the expedition. Cortés charged Pedro de Alvarado with gathering recruits from
15065-543: Was elected an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati . In January 1859, Prescott decided to resume his work on Philip II, with the goal of writing a final fourth volume History of the Reign of Phillip II (1856–1858) which was completed only up to the year 1568 featuring the deaths of Phillips son Carlos, Prince of Asturias and of Phllips 3rd wife Elisabeth of Valois . On January 28, he had
15196-470: Was far more useful to his long term interests; Alvarado thereafter maintained a friendship with Francisco de los Cobos that allowed him access to the king's favour. In 1528, by coincidence both Alvarado and Cortés were in Seville at the same time, but Cortés ignored him. William H. Prescott William Hickling Prescott (May 4, 1796 – January 28, 1859) was an American historian and Hispanist , who
15327-563: Was greeted in London, as in Washington, by the most important members of society—he dined with the Foreign Secretary and future Prime Minister Henry Temple , the former Prime Minister Robert Peel , as well as the elderly Duke of Wellington . He went to the races at Ascot , and was presented at court to Queen Victoria . On June 22, he traveled to Oxford to receive an honorary doctorate in law. In Oxford, he stayed at Cuddesdon Palace ,
15458-432: Was more limited than Prescott had originally planned. He worked on the Spanish translation of the Conquest of Mexico , which had been prepared by José Fernando Ramírez and Lucas Alamán . William H. Prescott and Susan Amory Prescott (c. 1799–1859) had four children; the first, Catherine Prescott (1824–1829) died of a childhood illness. William Gardiner Prescott (1826–1895) attended Harvard from 1841 to 1844 and worked as
15589-572: Was named in his honor, as was the William H. Prescott House (Headquarters House), which was designated a National Historic Landmark for its association with him. Colegio Anglo Americano Prescott , a school in Arequipa, Peru , also bears his name. Prescott Street, two blocks from Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is named after him. Historian Richard Kagan has identified "Prescott's Paradigm" as
15720-416: Was not familiar with American literature, and he based the work on other contemporary biographies of Brown. As a result, the biography has had little academic impact. In 1835, he took residence in the rural town of Nahant, Massachusetts , due to concerns about his health. He was here accustomed to riding his horses for the purpose of exercise, and he persevered even in sub-zero temperatures. Prescott finished
15851-482: Was not his first marriage as he married an indigenous woman, daughter to Xicotencatl the Elder , who was referred to as Dona Luisa by Spanish speakers and Tlecuiluatzin by Nahuatl speakers. Francisca de la Cueva was well connected at the royal court, being the niece of Francisco de los Cobos , the king's secretary, and a member of the powerful noble house of Albuquerque. This marriage gave Alvarado extra leverage at court and
15982-512: Was primarily focused on political and military affairs, largely ignoring economic, social, intellectual, and cultural forces that in recent decades historians have focused on. Instead, he wrote narrative history, subsuming unstated causal forces in his driving storyline. William H. Prescott was born in Salem, Massachusetts , on May 4, 1796, the first of seven children, although four of his siblings died in infancy. His parents were William Prescott Jr. ,
16113-476: Was published by Harper & Brothers , New York in December, Bentley issuing the British edition. His elderly father had had a stroke in October, which resulted in temporary paralysis, so Prescott spent most of the winter attending him in Pepperell . The History of the Conquest of Mexico was received extremely well, both critically and by the general public, despite Prescott's fears to the contrary. Those praising
16244-448: Was renewed, and having read the Bible , the works of the theologian William Paley as well as more skeptical works such as Hume 's Of Miracles , he came to acknowledge the "moral truth" of the gospels, while remaining opposed to the doctrines of orthodox Christianity. Despite this personal tragedy, and his own continued ill health, Prescott had gathered sufficient material to begin drafting
16375-453: Was stalled by the unexpected death of his brother Edward at sea. His daughter Elizabeth was seriously ill, so Prescott and his family traveled to Niagara , which he considered a more healthy environment for her. After her recovery, they returned to Nahant in the summer, where Prescott started drafting the Conquest , and, as was his custom, spent the autumn in Peperell. Prescott's father died at
16506-556: Was titled Italian Narrative Poetry , and became somewhat controversial after it was heavily criticized in an Italian review by Lorenzo Da Ponte , the librettist of Mozart 's Don Giovanni . Prescott wrote a succinct reply to Da Ponte's fifty-page argument in the North American Review of July 1825. Da Ponte published the criticisms as an appendix to his translation of Dodley 's Economy of Human life , which resulted in Prescott noticing them rather late. Prescott first became interested in
16637-439: Was unavailable to Prescott in Boston. However, progress was stalled almost immediately, due to a sudden deterioration in Prescott's eyesight. Unable to find a reader fluent in Spanish, Prescott was forced to work through Spanish texts with an assistant who did not understand the language. When Alexander Everett heard of this situation, he provided Prescott with the services of George Lunt , who had adequate knowledge of Spanish for
16768-420: Was unprecedented among American historians. As the work of an amateur historian, the History of Ferdinand and Isabella was an outstanding achievement, and it arguably was the best English-language work on the subject published until then. The major problems with the work to the modern day historian are not related to the quality of the research or Prescott's understanding of the period, but rather that his focus
16899-542: Was untreatable damage to his retina. Prescott had been commissioned by the Massachusetts Historical Society to write a biography of the scholar John Pickering in 1848, which he wrote for publication later in that year. Prescott was invited to write a history of the Mexican–American War , but declined, as he was uninterested in writing on contemporary events. Prescott's main secondary source for
17030-538: Was upheld as one of the greatest living American intellectuals, and knew personally many of the leading political figures of the day, in both the United States and Britain. Prescott has become one of the most widely translated American historians, and was an important figure in the development of history as a rigorous academic discipline. Historians admire Prescott for his exhaustive, careful, and systematic use of archives, his accurate recreation of sequences of events, his balanced judgments and his lively writing style. He
17161-484: Was writing 12 pages of the work per day in the summer of 1845, and completed the first two chapters of the Conquest . He used the inheritance from his father to buy a house on Beacon Street in Boston. The building is now a National Historic Landmark , and is also known as the William Hickling Prescott House. Prescott moved into the house during December 1845, and set himself a year to finish
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