How The Conquistadors Conquered The Aztec

Most know that the conquistadors under Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec people in the sixteenth century, but the extent to which people know the specific details, facts, key dates, events, reasoning, and what made the conquest possible is severely limited. This paper will examine a case of important events and themes ranging from the arrival of Hernan Cortés and his conquistadors on the Yucatan peninsula in the Spring of 1519 to the eventual siege and conquest of the Mexica capital city Tenochtitlán in August 1521. While many are under the impression that it is a requirement to include information on the actual final weeks and events surrounding Tenochtitlán, I find it easiest to stay in the realm of history and away from dramatization by …show more content…
It is no secret Cortés knew how to manipulate the minds of the Nahua as he is quoted in Diáz, “Do you know gentlemen, that is seems to me that the Indians are terrified at the horses and may think that they and the cannon alone can make war on them.” The Spaniards moved on after Tlaxcala, to Cholula as it was geographically closer to Tenochtitlán. The conquest of Cholula as described by Diáz and Tapia, was a stepping stone toward Tenochtitlán and was seemingly meant to galvanize the Spaniard-Tlaxcalan alliance as the Nahua records put it, “[The Cholulans] were stealthily and treacherously killed, because the Tlaxcalans persuaded [ the Spaniards]to do it… And after the dying in Cholula, [the Spaniards] set off on their way to Mexico.” It is at this point that the Nahua seem to accept that the fall of their city is inevitable. This assertion might seem ridiculous to some as some of the most dramatic events like the interactions between Cortés and Moctezuma , the imprisonment of Moctezuma , and the Noche Triste have been left out entirely; however, for the purpose of understanding how the conquest of Tenochtitlán became possible this is the most key turning point. It is at this point that Moctezuma fails to realize the potential for violence and spirit for conquest the Conquistadors have been perpetuating and by, “[Moctezuma] named and sent the nobleman and a great many other agents of his…to go meet [Cortés]…they gave [the Spaniards] golden banners, banners of precious feathers, and golden necklaces.” Moctezuma responded to aggression with gifts and appeasement that was became a pattern and influenced a relatively steep decline of his own sovereignty as a