After proving himself, although he had cruel ways in some instances, he became Cortés's assistant and right hand man He was put in charge of Tenoctitlán, which is now called Mexico City, when Cortés had to go fight off Pánfilo de Narváez . While he was left in charge, the Aztecs were having a festival. He didn't want them to revolt, so he sent his men to start the fight instead. Thousands of unarmed and harmless people were killed that night. The Aztecs were mad because many of their nobles and chiefs were killed, and their things were stolen.…
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.…
In the early fifteen hundred’s a Spanish expedition was sent on a mission to conquer Mexico, and consisted of approximately a dozen ships. Hernán Cortés was one of the most accomplished of the conquistadors in the sixteenth century, and also known throughout the world as the man who defeated the Aztec Empire. By overthrowing the Aztec Empire and their emperor, Moctezuma, Cortes conquered Mexico. Hernán Cortés was eternally known as a man who was rather bold and valiant in his leadership of his soldiers.…
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…
One military leader named Hernan Cortes arrived there along with many soldiers. They tried to weaken the Aztecs by fighting with their enemies. After the Aztecs Empire has declined, Hernan took over Mexico. On the other hand, the Inca population was declining because the people had contact with European diseases. Also the Mayan civilization was decreased rapidly because their lands were divided and the civilization fell.…
Spain conquered the Aztecs because of the high advantages Cortes had. Cortes had native allies, superior weaponry, urbanization, and the detrimental effect of…
In 1519, the Spanish conquerors HERNAN CORTES believe that Mexico is a place full of gold and wealth, so he lead the army went to Mexico. The king “Montezuma” who does not fear for the arrival of European, also held a grand ceremony to welcome their arrival. There are two hundred nobles dressed in exquisite costumes fitted two lines to meet Hernan Cortes and his men. When Hernan Cortes first met the king, he could not really close to him, because the king's guards told him that it is not consistent with the rules. As a form of respect, Cortes contributed his necklace to the king, so he got the chance to get close to the king also Cortes received a gift from the king.…
Hernan Cortez was an ambitious conquistador who embarked from Cuba with 600 men on a trip to what is now present day Mexico. He later came across the Aztec Empire and was able to take over the vast empire and took them of their fortunes. Francisco was a very sly and clever conquistador. 1532 He played the Inca against each other and conquered their empire by 1533.…
His letters was first published in 1522. His reason to conquest of Mexico was not different from other conquistadors. He wanted to benefit from the new world’s abundances such as gold and silver reserves and use people to his benefit. In these letter from Mexico he describes the city “Temixtitan “(Tenochtitlan) in every aspect and compares the city with Spain .From markets systems, religion and Montezuma the king. This city is set up on water and it is as big as Spain.…
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.…
Intro In 1522, the Aztecs was a Mesoamerican civilisation at the height of its power, atop its pedestal conquering neighbouring territories back and forth. A far cry from the downfall they would experience soon after. Despite the fact that they were at the height of their power, more than a few factors were already leading to the culmination of their demise even before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The ever so-popular ‘tradition’ of human sacrifice with Mesoamerican civilizations due to religion was one of the many catalysts of their downfall.…
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…
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.…
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.…