John Cabot: England's Columbus

Christopher Columbus’ exploits awed Europe with the possibility of reaching the riches of Asia without the arduous travel east into vast desert and mercy of Muslim rulers. It placed Spain in the forefront of the race to reach Asia, but it also inspired other, lesser-known countries and navigators to follow the journey. Such as the case of John Cabot and England entering the Age of Exploration.

Table of Contents

I. Age of Exploration

II. Who is Giovanni Caboto?

III. Becoming England's Colombus

1. A Spice-less First Expedition

2. Mistaking lands for Asia

3. One More Try

IV. Besting Columbus... in Dying with a Mystery

V. Cabot's Legacy 

8 Things to Know about Tenochtitlan's and the Aztecs' Foundational Myth

The Aztecs or the Mexica possessed a very fascinating history. Difficult for its lack of simple written languages matched with mixing with myths, legends, and gods. Such as the case of the Aztecs’ origins and the foundation of their capital Tenochtitlan. Here are 8 things to know about their foundational myth.

Tenochtitlan and the Mexica Foundational Myth

They say childhood shapes an individual and the same could be said of a culture or a society. Its foundational myths set a people’s mindset, perspective, and morality. The Aztecs or Mexicans, told a foundational myth familiar to every Christians that defined their actions throughout the duration of their empire.

Aztlan in Codex Aubin

5 Causes of the Tepanec War: The Aztecs Ticket to Empire

The Tepanec War served as the Aztec Empire’s debut as a major player in Mesoamerican politics. It eliminated its rival that created a void which they filled up. But what caused this conflict that the Aztecs’ exploited to their advantage.

Causes of the Tepanec War

The Tepanec War transformed the Aztecs into a major player in the politics of Lake Texcoco then throughout Central America. The War brought together where various tribes and people united to topple down a tyrannical hegemony of the Tepanecs. But what were the causes and tyranny that brought the war in the first place?

Map of Lake Texcoco in Aztec Warfare by Ross Hassig

A Grandfather's Love and the Rise of the Aztecs

Messengers from a nascent city of Tenochtitlan arrived in the sumptuous palace of Tezozomoc in the city of Azcapotzalco, the great power that dominated the lands around Lake Texcoco, the area now known as Mexico City. The messenger brought a request from Tezozomoc’s favorite grandson, the leader of Tenochtitlan, the teenager Chimalpopoca, asking for his grandfather to allow his people to build an aqueduct. Tezozomoc agreed to his grandson’s request, an agreement and a relationship that changed a region’s political landscape.

A Joke that Left Thousands Without a Nose

32,000 Voldemort-like looking people, without a nose and only a hole in the middle of the face thanks to a “jest” by a Nahuatl-King. Such was the sheer result of the Aztecs’ fight for their survival during their migration years. An episode that displayed their ruthlessness, resilience, and martial prowess which later turned them from nomads to overlords.

Xochimilco Prisoners in Aubin Codex

10 Things to Know About the Early Leaders of the Aztecs

Behind the blood curdling stories of sacrifice by the Aztecs lies a story of beating the odds, a rags to riches story. Here are 10 things to know about the early leaders of the Aztecs who faced dangerous odds and built the foundation of a Mesoamerican Empire:

Eagle on top of a cactus, the famous sign
that marked the foundation of Tenochtitlan

Huitzilihuitl - the Second Tlatoani of the Aztecs

What do you search for a date in Tinder?

Is it the face, the body, or hobbies and interest. The 2nd leader of the Aztecs looked beyond this stuff and focused on the political value. Huitzilihuitl combined a heavy dose of marriage diplomacy with a dash of Zeus-like romance giving an entertaining story of skillful diplomacy and betterment of Aztec standard of living.

Patience and Resilience - Early Leaders of the Aztecs

A childhood defines an adult and the same could be said on states, countries and empires. In the case of the Aztec Empire, their early tribulations and resolve to survive shaped them into a formidable people. So, who led these Mesoamerican people during this period of formation?

8 Things to Know About Chinampas

The chinampas brings out captivation and the poster child for Aztec "ingenuity". Here are 8 things to know about this agricultural and engineering marvel:

1st drawing of maize to be seen in Europe

Feeding the Aztec Empire - the Chinampas

An ingenuity born out of resourcefulness of the Mesoamericans. The Chinampas sustained Mesoamericans for centuries even before the Aztecs rose to power. Its concept inspired solutions in answering today’s problems.

A Calendar of Horror? The Aztec Veintena - Part 2

They make the cruel Assyrians and Genghis Khan look like human rights activists. The Aztecs conjure up words of blood lust, human sacrifice, and heart plucking. They are brutal, but after reading the 18 Months in a year of the Aztecs based on the Florentine Codex, the level of horror just goes up. Following 18 months and the rituals involved are: 

Tlaloc, one of the major Aztec deities

A Calendar of Horror? The Aztec Veintena - Part 1

They make the cruel Assyrians and Genghis Khan look like human rights activists. The Aztecs conjure up words of blood lust, human sacrifice, and heart plucking. They are brutal, but after reading the 18 Months in a year of the Aztecs based on the Florentine Codex, the level of horror just goes up. Following 18 months and the rituals involved are: 

Acamapichtli: The First Tlatoani of the Aztecs

Looking at the basic history of the world, why are we reading about the Aztec and not the other people? In other words, how did the Aztec achieve supremacy over other peoples? The secret lies in the decision of its early ruler Acamapichtli.

11 Rulers of the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan

The Florentine Codex in its Book 8 titled Kings and Lords listed the names and a summary of events of the 11 rulers of the Aztecs. Below are the list and the paraphrased summary from the codex.

A European map of Tenochtitlan

10 Things to Know About the Aztec Empire's Rise and Fall

A powerful and feared civilization in Mesoamerica that faced the Conquistadors, the Aztec earned their place in the annals of history for their blood thirsty sacrifices and their duration as an Empire. Here are 10 things to know about the rise and fall of the Aztec Empire.

Doc Recap: 1854 Additional Regulations on the Treaty of Kanagawa

In June 17, 1854, after few months visiting ports opened to Americans, Commodore Matthew C. Perry, commander of the US Squadron assigned to a mission in Japan, signed an agreement adding new regulations accompanying the Treaty of Kanagawa few months before. Explore the additional regulations agreed by Perry and his Japanese counter-parts.

Doc Recap: Treaty of Kanagawa

On March 31, 1854, in the village of Yokohama under the domain of Kanagawa, Commodore Perry and the Japanese commissioners led by Lord Hayashi signed a treaty of peace and amity. Explore the contents of the treaty.

Doc Recap: 1852 Letter of President Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan

In 1852, President Millard Fillmore approved an expedition led by Commodore Matthew C. Perry to Japan. Among the objectives that Washington gave Perry was to deliver a letter by the President to the Emperor of Japan. The letter contained the requests of the United States of America to the Empire. Explore more about the contents of the letter bellow.