In 1519 an ambitious and calculating conquistador named Hernan Cortés sailed from Cuba and arrived on the shores of Mexico with empire expansion in his veins. He intended to appropriate the newfound lands in the name of the crown of Spain, to convert the inhabitants to Catholicism, and to plunder the rich lands of their precious metals, namely gold (Levy, page 1).
Cortés had a fleet of eleven ships carrying nearly 600 soldiers and sailors, also on board were 200 indigenous Cubans, sixteen horses, and cannons. They landed on what is now called Veracruz, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Cortes burned all of their ships on the shoreline to dissuade dissenters, sparing one vessel to carry the expected gold back to Spain (George Brown, page
…show more content…
The Aztecs built their city Tenochtitlán, on the site of present-day Mexico City; a dazzling capital city dominated by towering stone temples, broad paved avenues, thriving markets, and some 70,000 adobe huts. The Aztecs were one of the most powerful civilizations in the world. As their empire had expanded across central and southern Mexico, they had developed elaborate urban societies, sophisticated legal systems, scientific farming techniques, including irrigated fields and engineering marvels, and a complicated political structure (George Brown, page 29).
Whilst the Spaniards were on the beach of Veracruz, prior to their journey inland, Totonac messengers brought news of a native lord who wished to ally himself with the Spaniards. Cortes then went to visit this Totonac lord, who ruled the nearby city of Cempoala and its countryside. Cortés learned that Cempoala had recently come under Aztec domination, and the inhabitants had many complaints against Moctezuma and his governors (Boone, page
…show more content…
In my estimation, Moctezuma’s initial passivity might have been a ruse to lure the Spaniards into the city, where he could observe them, assess their weaknesses, and ultimately exploit it to his advantage. Moctezuma’s capture within his own city must have come as a shocking turn of events, which he could not have envisaged. In order to salvage the situation, Moctezuma probably opted for a calculated political decision to ensure that he retained power, even if it meant being under the influence of
After the discovery of the new world, by Christopher Columbus, rapidly the Europeans navigate from their countries to the new world in search of gold and precious rocks that have a value for their kings or queens. Hernan Cortes, born in Medellin, Spain, was a conquistador mainly best known as the conquistador that found Tenochtitlan, which is now call Mexico City. During the conquista Bernal del Castillo and Hernán Cortés describe the struggles and other issues that they had to find the city Tenochtitlan through writing it on a book. Tenochtitlan, at that point, had amazing building structure and an extensive market. The Aztec or Mexica had, when found by Cortez, an extensive knowledge of Astronomy, time, and including Mathematics. After Cortes’s entrance to Tenochtitlan the king, Moctezuma, believe that Spaniards were part of their culture or history, as the same as Toltecs.
He attempted this primarily through his portrayal of Montezuma’s system of governance as brutal and is people as disloyal to him. He described the apparent willingness of the peoples he encountered to abandon the Aztecs and swear allegiance to the King of Spain, “Although they were subjects of Montezuma … they had been reduced to that condition by force …and when they had obtained through me some knowledge of your Highness … they declared their desire to become vassals of your Majesty, and to form an alliance with me”(Second Letter, 38–39). Cortés justified his conquest further through his proclamation to the his king that he was acting in defense of these newly acquired vassals. Cortés wrote that Montezuma subjected the local people to violent and tyrannical repression and, “took from them their sons to be slain and offered as sacrifices to his idols”(Second Letter,
Slide 2 transition into slide 3- Once Cortes and his small army defeated Montezuma’s powerful Mexican Aztec warriors, which outnumbered the Spaniards 10-1. The riches in form of Gold started to flood into Spain.
One of the principle themes in the Aztec downfall was the immense greed of the Europeans. The principle goal of every major faction in Europe was to gain power and wealth it didn’t matter from what source. Everyone from popes and kings to the lowly soldier envisioned rivers of gold and fame. Ever since they had boats Europeans have been looking for lucrative trade routes and other ways to turn a profit. The ruling monarchs of these countries contributed a great deal to this. They saw vast profits from these ventures through taxes and the customary “ Royal Fifth” which was a fifth of all profits would go straight to the King and/or Queen. Also royalty or other nobility within the country personally funded a large majority of explorations. Trading and exploration companies just helped push the trend further and made the exploitation of newly discovered lands big business. While greed was defiantly a starting point for Cortez’s expedition, it was his greed while in Central Mexico that changed the tide of history. Cortez’s first encounters with the natives in Central...
Cortés went to Tenochtitlan in mid-August 1519, along with 600 soldiers, 15 horsemen, 15 cannons, and hundreds of indigenous carriers and warriors. On the way to Tenochtitlan, Cortés made alliances with indigenous peoples such as the Totonacs of Cempoala and the Nahuas of Tlaxcala. The Otomis initially, and then the Tlaxcalans fought the Spanish a series of three battles from 2 Sept. to 5 Sept. 1519, After Cortés continued to release prisoners with messages of peace, Xicotencatl the Elder, and Maxixcatzin, persuaded the Tlaxcalan warleader, Xicotencatl the Younger, that it would be better to ally with the newcomers than to kill them. On November 8, 1519, they were peacefully received by Moctezuma
Moctezuma welcomed Cortes and gave him a place to use inside the city. However, Cortes being extremely greedy took Moctezuma captive and demanded for even more gold. Thus, they started the battle for Mexico.
The Aztec Empire was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. They dominated the valley of Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Aztecs were an advanced and successful civilization that built beautiful, sophisticated cities, temples, and pyramids. They also created a culture full of creativity with mythological and religious traditions. Aztecs lead a structured and evocative life that let their society to become a very superior civilization. The Aztec’s communication skills were very well developed for their time; through religious beliefs, government involvement, and family life they lived a full and productive life. Until in 1519 when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, and defeated the Aztecs.
Nineteen year old Hernan Cortes first arrived in the New World in 1504. A few years later, he fought in the conquest of Cuba. In 1519, Hernan Cortes requested and received permission from the governor of Cuba to conduct his exploration of the “interior of the mainland” to “investigate rumors of the fabulously wealthy kingdom” (The American Promise 36). When Cortes landed on the Yucatan Peninsula with his exploration crew of 600 men, he luckily met a generous local chief who gifted him a young girl named Malinali. The Spaniards referred to Malinali as Marina. According to The American Promise, page 36, Marina served as a translator for the Spanish since she “ spoke several native languages, including Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica.” Montezuma, the emperor of the Mexican people, sent people bearing gifts such as food and gold to the men. This gift of gold and riches from the emperor confirmed the Spaniard’s belief that the Aztec Empire was indeed the empire from the rumors. Cortes marched towards Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Mexican Empire. Once they arrived in Tenochtitlan, Montezuma was very welcoming and provided them with more luxurious gifts. Cortes proceeded to take Montezuma hostage with the intention to use him as a puppet “through whom the Spaniards could rule the Mexican empire” (The American Promise 36). There was a calm before the storm in the form of an
When the Spaniards arrived on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in 1519, they encountered the advanced society of the Aztecs. With Tenochititlan at its capital, the Aztec empire was vast. The Aztecs had substantial wealth from trading and extensive payments of tribute from conquered peoples. Bernal Diaz in his The Conquest of New Spain comments, "We were dazzled at the richness of the country that we passed through" (282). The Spaniards encountered a powerful, advanced people in the New World, making Cortes and his crew of approximately 600 seemingly ensured of defeat. The Aztec religion lends much to Spanish success in conquest.
The Conquest of New Spain Cortés came not to the New World to conquer by force, but by manipulation. Bernal Daz del Castillo, in the "Conquest of New Spain," describes how Cortés and his soldiers manipulated the Aztec people and their king Montezuma from the time they traveled from Iztapalaopa to the time when Montezuma took Cortés to the top of the great Cue and showed him the whole of Mexico and its countryside, and the three causeways which led into Mexico. Castillo's purpose for recording the mission was to keep an account of the wealth of Montezuma and Mexico, the traditions, and the economic potential that could benefit Cortés' upcoming conquest. However, through these recordings, we are able to see and understand Cortés' strategy in making Mexico "New Spain." He came as a wolf in sheep's clothing and manipulated Montezuma through his apparent innocence.
The ancient Aztecs, who most likely originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica at approximately the beginning of the 13th century. For a long time, the nomads wandered the land of Mexica, countlessly resettling into new areas in a constant search for land that was fertile and that they could call their own. Before the founding of their capital city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, the Aztecs had to work for various cities and small empires that were more powerful than them in order to gain military experience and come out as the dominant force in central Mexico. Through developing an intricate social, political, religious and commercial organization, it was by the 15th century that the empire brought many of the region’s city-states under their control.
The light skinned and bearded Spaniard led his men into territory occupied by the Aztec civilization. Little did Cortes know, but that happened to be the same year in the Aztec culture when a white and bearded deity was expected to arrive. Montezuma, the Aztec’s ruler, greeted Cortes with honors fit for a God and opened up his empire for Spanish invasion. Cortes and his followers, equipped with the most up to date technology of the time, successfully caused the demise of the Aztec civilization. However, the most contemporary weaponry and technology did not solely destroy the Aztecs.
Hernan Cortes along with the Spanish army of five hundred, and thousands of Indian warriors declared war with the Aztecs. Moctezuma believed that the person coming towards his land was Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl who was forced into exile, but promised to return. Topiltzin was born in the year ce acatl, departed during ce acatl. Coincedently Cortes came in the year of ce acatl, unfortunately for Moctezuma having his guards down and his arms open during the start of the war.
In life, everyone has their own opinions. Some are more relevant than others, yet no one has the same viewpoint. Furthermore, during the 16th century, the Spaniards went on a vast conquest of the Americas. The Spanish, a powerful empire, wished to expand their authority and in pursuit of this goal, The King of Spain had ordered his men to seize the natives and their land. Meanwhile, in 1882 the Mexica formed the Triple Alliance, excluding the Tlaxcalans from their ranks due to perceived weakness.
In 1519 Hernán Cortés led a couple hundred other Spaniards inland to the impressive Empire of the Mexica ruled by the Great Montezuma. Many historians today tell how quickly and almost effortlessly these Spaniards conquered the Empire. They paint an image of ignorant, helpless Indians practically giving up their land out of fear of this group because certainly the Spaniards must be gods since they have powerful weapons and strange animals. We know neither Cortés nor any of his men were gods, of course, but what was it that allowed Cortés to prevail over the inhabitants of the land?