Is there any information in his letter that he did not actually observe? How do you reconcile this fact with the idea that this is a primary source? Can a document be partially primary and partially secondary? (i.e., written by someone who did not witness the events or experience the emotion?)

Please read these two documents, then answer all prompts in the following discussion question. Make sure to include relevant points to your answer and make sure that your information is correctly cited. You must post before you can see the posts of others.
For this discussion, read the primary source account of “The Wonders of Tenochtitlan: City of the Aztecs” from Hernan Cortés: from Second Letter to Charles V, 1520.
The Nature of Evidence for an explanation of primary and secondary sources.
Focus Questions:
Make sure you answer each of these prompts in your post:
Why is Cortes’ letter a primary source?
Is there any information in his letter that he did not actually observe? How do you reconcile this fact with the idea that this is a primary source? Can a document be partially primary and partially secondary? (i.e., written by someone who did not witness the events or experience the emotion?)
What can you infer about Cortes’ motives in writing about “the wonders of Tenochtitlan” and the Aztecs? Why did he choose to write about the topics he addressed in this letter? Who is the intended audience, and how might that have influenced the letter?
Using Cortes’ comments in the first two paragraphs, what assumptions can you make about the wealth of the Aztec state?
List three characteristics of the Aztec religion. What religious practice did Cortes attempt to do away with? Do you think that he could have been successful?

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