Cortes Generales

Catalina Pizarro Altamirano was around 20 years old when she gave birth to the man who would later defeat and conquer the entire Aztec Empire. His name was Hernan Cortez. He was a Spanish conquistador whose explorations and conquests led him to great fame. He was born in 1485 in Medellin, a town in Western Spain which is now known as the Castilian province of Extremadura. He was born into an aristocratic family who were fairly well-known due to the fact that his father, Martin Cortez de Monroy…

Zazil Ha, Matoaka, Sacagawea, and Toby “Winema” Riddle are all portrayed much differently than Malinalli, but why is she viewed negatively for doing similar things? Each of these women helped foreigners by mediating between their own native peoples and the foreigners that would later bring destruction to them. Why then, would Malinalli Tenepal be the only one portrayed in a negative limelight? Zazil Ha (1519) was a Mayan who chose a Spaniard as her husband. Although her husband completely…

The fall of the Aztec Empire is a very interesting topic that has helped shape history. There were many incidents that led to the ruination of the mighty Aztec Empire. Hernán Cortés and his men played a key role in this ruination, as did the Aztecs themselves. There has been an ample amount of research done on this riveting topic. According to some historical records and research, the fall of the Aztec Empire was just as much the fault of the Aztecs as it was the success of the Spanish…

The Spanish, led by Francisco Pizzaro, conquered the Inca in Peru in 1532 (Chapter 13, Slide #4). The video describes that the Spanish used the Jacobus musket as part of its weaponry, which was slow firing and inaccurate, but nevertheless deadly (GGS 17:06-18:14). Another critical weapon in the Spanish arsenal was the Toledo sword. It was a long, hard, and pliable sword that was characteristic of rapiers (GGS 20:00-21:00). In the film, Jared Diamond explains that Europeans inherited metal…

The Conquering of the Aztecs by Cortez The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most crucial event in history, and the desire to gain wealth transform Hernan Cortez into becoming a famous and influential figure in the 16th century. His intelligence and determination were manifested by the way he made decisions to prepare his army for unexpected attacks. In other words, it was easy for Cortez and his army to conquer the Aztec Empire because of advance weaponry and the advantage…

On December 8th 1531, La Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego at the top of the Tepeyac hill. Using Nahuatl, Juan Diego’s native language, she asked that a church be erected in her honor. Juan Diego attempted twice to convince Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga (Archbishop of Mexico from 1530-1548) of the apparition of the virgin; as well he attempted to convince the archbishop to build a church to Honor La Virgen de Guadalupe. Unfortunately, his first two attempts were unsuccessful. As a…

Empress Carlota, or Charlotte, of Mexico was a brave and devoted woman. She was strong, and wanted to fight for her country and husband loyally to the end, no matter what. Carlota was born Marie Charlotte Amelie Augustine Victoire Clementine Leopoldine of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, on June 7th, 1840. Her parents were King Leopold I of the Belgians and Louise Marie d'Orleans (Mexican 2). Her mother Louise died when Carlota was only ten years old. Carlota was a smart, well-educated young girl…

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…

because Cortes and his men had the determination, also the Spanish were more powerful than the Aztecs in combat. Another reason is if Cortes and his men didn’t defeat the Aztecs, the King’s army searching for him would come in contact with them and kill them off if they didn’t convert to Catholic. Also when Cortes attacked, the Aztecs were caught with smallpox and they didn’t have the antidote and weren’t used to it the disease. Smallpox would’ve killed off most of the Aztecs anyway and Cortes…

Hernando Cortés also known as Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro is an explorer and a conquistador. Cortés is infamous for eliminating the amazing empire of the Aztecs. Cortés after brutally murdering the Aztecs, he claimed their native land, Mexico, for Spain. Although can Cortés be considered a hero and a villain, but can he be both? Hernando Cortés was born in Medellín, Spain in 1485. He was born in a wealthy family, but his family wasn’t as wealthy. He attended the University of Salamanca,…