Bradley Benton, NDSU associate professor of history, presented his research findings at an international symposium marking the quincentennial of the conquest of Mexico. The symposium was held Nov. 7 in the 18th century Palafoxiana Library in Puebla, Mexico.
The event was co-sponsored by West Virginia University and the University of Puebla.
Benton’s talk, titled “The Allies’ Advantage: The Long-Term Effects of Tetzcoca Involvement in the Spanish-Mexica War of 1519-1521,” was based on his original research in archives in both Mexico and Spain.
Many indigenous groups allied themselves with the Spanish invaders in 1519 and fought against the Aztec Empire in the episode known today as the conquest of Mexico. Benton analyzed the ways in which one group of native allies both benefitted and failed to benefit from the alliance over the course of the 16th century.
“I was very excited to be invited to join this interdisciplinary group of scholars to talk about the conquest on such a significant anniversary. Since my work focuses on the history of Mexico, it is extremely important to me to build and maintain relationships with scholars in Mexico and to be able to disseminate my work to audiences there,” Benton said.
Symposium attendees included scholars from Mexico, the United States, Argentina and Chile.
The symposium took place on the 500th anniversary of the arrival of conquistador Hernando Cortés in Mexico. Many events, both in Mexico and the United States, are planned to acknowledge and evaluate the conquest of Mexico during this anniversary year.
Benton received support for the trip from the symposium organizers and from NDSU’s Office of Research and Creative Activity.
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