Since he was a conquistador he conquered the Aztecs. That…
Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors were able to conquer Tenochtitlan. This was due to having superior weaponry beyond known knowledge. The effects of the known epidemic small pox, which overawed the Aztec population . There was a severe shock to the Aztec leadership while leaving an untarnished leadership.…
Fall of Aztec Empire For many years now, historians have pondered upon the many reasons for the fall of the Aztec Empire. There have been many factors that played into the fall of the Empire, such as the diseases plaguing the population, the Spaniard’s technological advantages, religious rivalries, alliances, and the list goes on. But to focus on two of the major contributors, this essay will focus on the effects of European diseases on Mexico, and the impact alliances between the Spaniards and the Tlaxcala people had on Tenochtitlan. To begin our observations, we will delve into the life of a man named “Hernan Cortés”. Hernan Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador, and one of the driving forces in the fall of the Aztec Empire through the capture of Tenochtitlan and of the then leader Motecuhzoma II.…
When Montezuma brought the Spanish to his capital, the Spanish immediately put him in their custody and guarded him. The Aztec people were terrified and angry that Montezuma was being controlled by the Spanish. Many had lost respect for Montezuma because he gave the Spaniards whatever they needed and wanted. Moctezuma was killed and we historians really do not know how he really died. Cortés and his men took possession of every precious object and resources within the Aztec…
Did only a handful of Spaniards led by Hernan Cortes really conquer the great Aztec empire? One might get that idea from reading certain history books but there may be some jokesters who will answer no in order to evoke a good laugh from their audience. Surprisingly the jokesters may be shocked that their “joke” is seriously closer to the truth than they could imagine. The “Spanish” conquest of the Aztec empire was accomplished through a series of “lucky” events and such a large number of allies that will cause us to question whether or not we should call it a Spanish conquest in the first place. One “lucky” event that aided the Spanish to conquer the Aztec empire was the epidemic that spread through Tenochtitlan.…
Another reason that the Spaniards were able to successfully conquer the Aztec Empire, is that they were able to ally themselves with the Tlaxcaltecas. The Tlaxcaltecas greeted the Spaniards in a friendly manner because they heard about how the Spaniards utterly defeated the Otomi and saw the chance to make a powerful friend and ally. The Tlaxcaltecas used this new alliance to get rid of their enemy the Cholultecas. The Tlaxcaltecas were able to get rid of Cholula by convincing the Spaniards that they had a common enemy in the Cholultecas. For example, the Tlaxcaltecas told Cortes that the Cholultecas were allies of the Aztecs (León-Portilla, pg. 40).…
Cortes has been known for his victory over the Aztec Empire, in his search for gold silver and land, the spanish…
Massive amounts of native people swelled Cortes’s ranks in defiance of the Mexica tributary system. Up to 100,000 Tlaxcalans joined with Cortes when he marched on Tenochtitlan. Schwartz states that “such figures emphasizes the fact that in many ways the conquest of Tenochtitlan and the fall of the Mexica Empire was as much a struggle among indigenous peoples as it was a clash of the Old and New Worlds” (Schwartz 15). When the Spanish arrived, “the peoples of the Mexica did not form a single political entity, and these political and ethnic divisions contributed to the success” (Schwartz 23) of the military expedition. In order for the Spanish to take advantage of these divisions, they had to rely on past experience when dealing with native peoples.…
During his search for the riches of the New World, Cortes found himself appalled at the traditions and values of the native population. The culture shock that Cortes experienced from the indigenous people of the Aztec Empire had a profound effect on his views of the local populace. Another thing that influenced Cortes’s views of the Aztec Empire was his lack of knowledge on the cultural…
Based on the documents that I have read, I have learned many things about the arrival, and possible expectation, of Cortes. The documents that I read led me to believe that Moctezuma was very excited to meet Cortes. Document B stated that Moctezuma welcomed Cortes to Mexico by saying that his throne was kept for him and that he has been worried about Cortes for a long time. He also said that he was looking toward the unknown place from which he had come, Moctezuma believed that he would return to his city and sit upon this throne due to what he was told by their ancestors. Cortes was told to enjoy his palace and rest his body.…
There are several explanations as to why Montezuma was hesitant during the conquest by Cortes. The primary one mentioned by Todorov was that there was virtually no resistance by Montezuma (Todorov, 1984, pg 55) to avoid war and bloodshed in his city. The Tlaxcaltecs, Todorov claims, saw Cortes and his conquest as the lesser evil compared to the Aztecs who conquered them once already. This was one of his answers to why the Indians did not offer more resistance. The conquistadors were to impose the same grievances on them as Montezuma.…
The Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire in the early sixteenth century has been recounted by two primary documents. The True History of the Conquest of New Spain and The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico both share some similarities and differences pertaining to the author's perspective on what truly happened such as the way the Spaniards were welcomed, outlook on culture, and interpretation of the war. This paper will compare both accounts of the encounters between the Spanish and the Aztecs from different points of view. Although the events in both sources took place during a similar time period, the differences vary in the author's tone of voice, the purpose, and the circumstances from where it was told. Based on the collected findings, The True History…
The Spanish soldiers were ready to repel against Cortes because of the promise of riches (most had been shipped back to Spain). Cortes agreed that the soldiers deserved their pay and asked Spain to give it up. Cortes goal was to colonize Mexico into a powerful Spanish empire. The Aztecs were a group of Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. Aztec culture had complex mythological and religious traditions.…
Here he came into contact with a friendly group of indigenous people- who which had given him the valuable information of the enemies and opponents of the Aztec emperor, Montezuma (Documenting Latin America, 21). Upon meeting with the cacique (or leader), they had begun to air out their thoughts on the rule of Montezuma, having said that “their complaints gave vent to such tears and sighs that Cortés and the rest of us were moved to pity” (Documenting Latin America, 22). Considering that just the presence of Aztec tax-gathers had been enough to make them “tremble with fear” (Documenting Latin America, 22), yet were able to so easily obey Cortés’ orders to arrest them, it made it clear that the Cempoalan people had trust in Cortés’ leadership, as well in the military strength of the Spanish. It had been very well known that by going against Montezuma through this action would bring “death and destruction” upon them, yet they were able to put their full trust in Cortés’ reassurance, and as a result, allied with him in defeating the Mexica Empire. The Cempoalan people were the first step in obtaining strong alliances that would lead to their…
In 1519, Spanish explorers, under the leadership of Hernán Cortés, set foot on what is now modern-day Mexico in search of gold and land in the Aztec Empire. Although the Spanish initially had no intentions (or orders from Cuban governor Diego Velásquez for whom they made the voyage) to colonize the Aztec Empire, they sought to communicate with the inhabitants and spread their Christian faith. However, the end of 1521 saw the mighty Aztec Empire practically cease to exist, its emperor Montezuma II join the many victims of the conquest, and the survivors put under the rule of the Spanish. A variety of factors came into play regarding the Spanish’s ability to conquer this mighty empire, including the ability to communicate verbally, the religious beliefs of both peoples, and the devastating effect of disease on the Aztec empire.…