Essay On The Aztec Empire
The Aztec empire is known for its power, geographical size, and sacrificial religion. Ironically it was all this that led to its downfall at the hands of Hernán Cortés on August 13, 1521. Aztec mythology foretold the prophecy of Quetzalcoatl, a god, who would return on the year One Reed (1519) to reclaim his kingdom. By the time the Aztec civilization was at its height in 1519 it already had several problems with revolts and rebellions due to its impressive geographical extent. Moctezuma had oppressed many tribes which quickly allied with Cortés in order to bring down their common enemy. Hernán Cortés was born around 1485 in Medellin, Spain. In 1518, friend and rival, Velazquez cancelled Cortés expedition to Mexico. Cortés ignored the order and set sail with 500 men and 11 ships. In February 1519 he reached the Mexican coast. Resistant natives at Tabasco were no match for European forces. After their defeat they provided Cortés and his men with basic necessities and well as handed over 20 females, one of which severed to …show more content…
At first they were reluctant to ally with him even after seeing the power of his men. Both Tlaxcalan and Mexica (Aztec Civilization) belonged to the same Aztec culture; the Tlaxcalan lived in the shadows of their Mexica counterpart. For years the Mexica overpowered their neighboring city-states and obligated those who surrendered to offer part of their production as tribute. Although the Mexica Empire was very strong the Tlaxcalan Indians never fell to their hands, for this reason Cortés knew he had to make them his allies. After a few days in battle with Tlacalan Indians the Spaniards proved themselves in battle. When the Spanish entered Tlaxcalan territory on September 18 they were welcomed as heroes who opposed the Aztec empire just as much as they did. Cortés offered them a place in his Spanish dominated Mexico which increased his army’s numbers by
Hernan Cortes Research Paper
453 Words | 2 PagesPreston Lipscomb 5/22/17 Hernan Cortes Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conqueror. He was born in 1485 in Medellin, Spain. He died on December 2, 1547. He invaded Mexico in 1519, and he conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521. His parents’ names were Martin Cortez and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano.
How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec
259 Words | 2 PagesHernan Cortes. Spain’s savior, nightmare for the Aztecs. The man who brought gold and glory to Spain, at the cost of the destruction of a rich, thriving civilisation. Hernan Cortez was a cunning, manipulative, intelligent conquistador and he and his army single handedly took down one of the greatest civilizations of all time by forging, advanced weaponry, alliances and the Conquistador’s Formula. Some may argue that Dona Marina is most responsible because she advised and told Cortes what the enemy was planning, but she was merely a pawn in Cortes’s grand scheme of conquering the Aztecs, as Cortes was the true mastermind and defeated the Aztecs for these reasons: First Cortes and his army has more advanced weapons such as Halberds, crossbows,
How Did The Tlaxcalans Benefit From Conquering Mexico
272 Words | 2 PagesSo, the Spanish had many benefits from conquering Mexico. Believe it or not, the Tlaxcalans helped the Spanish Conquistadors conquer Mexico. Initially, when Spanish arrived in Mexico, they had a small force of about 400 soldiers and 12 horses. As they traveled, they gained allies, enemies of the Aztecs, the Tlaxcalans. The Tlaxcalans battled against
Why Did Hernando Cortes Able To Conquer The Aztecs
810 Words | 4 PagesEvidence might lead one to believe that the Nahua thought the Spaniards were influenced by the god, Tezcatlipoca, who was known to coerce men into doing wicked things in order to reward those who could resist temptation. After the defeat of the Otomis, who were known as great and valiant warriors, the Tlaxcalan people allied with the Spaniards in the hopes of escaping destruction. The natives treated the Spaniards well, placing them into their palaces and giving them their daughters. After the solidification of their alliance, the Tlaxcalans requested that the conquistadors battle their enemies, the Cholulans, stating,”The Cholulans are very evil; they are our enemies.” After the defeat of the Cholulans, they continued their journey to Mexico, searching for gold and
Why Did The Tlaxcalans Conquer The Aztec Empire
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How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec Empire
318 Words | 2 PagesIn 1519 Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec empire in Tenochtitlan, the capital city and had claimed the Aztec empire, or what is now Mexico, for Spain. This scene was called the “Spanish Conquest of the Aztec empire”1. Hernan Cortés is one of the most well-known Spanish conquistadors. Cortes was fascinated about the journey of Christopher Columbus New world explorations and decided to seek fortune and adventure and so at age 19, he set sail for the New World.2 Cortes had lot of on board knowledge that the Spanish had which led to them conquering the Aztec for Spain. However, many things have challenged them to complete their desire.
A Note On The Battle Of Puebl Second French Intervention Of Mexico
1462 Words | 6 PagesWhen the French were going to invade Mexico, they called upon General Ignacio Zaragoza to lead the Pueblans into battle. The French first invaded other cities and won until they invaded Puebla. A group of Zapotec "Indians" (Native Americans) wielding machetes were said to have fought off
Compare And Contrast Inca And Aztecs
1807 Words | 8 PagesThe Mexica people of Tenochtitlan, situated on an island in Lake Texcoco and the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan’s two principal allied city-states, the Acolhaus of Texcoco and the Tepanecs of Tlacopan, formed the Aztec Triple Alliance which has also become known as the “Aztec Empire”. Henan Cortes, along with a large number of Nahuatl speaking indigenous allies, conquered Tenochtitlan and defeated the Aztec Triple Alliance under the leadership of Moctezuma II. In the series of events often referred to as “The Fall of the Aztec Empire”. Subsequently the Spanish founded the new settlement of Mexico City on the site of the ruined Aztec capital.
Aztec Empire Thesis
2031 Words | 9 PagesThe Aztec Empire lasted from the year 1345 to the year 1521. During these years, the Aztec Empire was able to flourish all throughout central Mexico. Their capital was established on Teotihuacan, on top of a lake. The Aztec Empire alone was 117,501 miles squared long. The citizens of the Aztec Empire were feared all over Mexico.
The Broken Spears Summary
573 Words | 3 PagesThe author gives insight on how many ways the Spaniards used their power to assist in the downfall of the Aztecs. The reason why the Spaniards became victorious, was because the Spaniards were looked upon as if they were gods because of their outer appearance. The Aztecs broke bread and welcomed the Spaniards with gifts and parties. The Aztecs triggered their relationship with the Spaniards by holding a ritual for the arrival of the god which included a human sacrifice. The Spaniards didn’t agree with the rituals and began to despise the Aztecs.
Summary Of Buddy Levy's 'Conquistador'
1181 Words | 5 PagesConquistador, written by Buddy Levy about the famous ventures of Hernan Cortes, places the reader in the 16th century, or the era c.1450-c. 1750 ce. During this time, the idea of exploration was spreading quickly, as kingdoms and empires in Europe sought to expand their territory. Portugal, with Spain following after, led the way for exploration as they headed south. Spain, however, ventured west, driven by a patriotic attitude of expanding past their borders. Levy tells the story of Hernan Cortes, originally setting sail from Spain, as he sailed from Cuba to the shores of Mexico in 1519, eager about the discovery of new lands.
Battle Of Tenochtitlan Analysis
1094 Words | 5 PagesBattle of Tenochtitlan – Fall of the Aztec Empire The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the historical Battle of Tenochtitlan and apply critical reasoning and battle analysis techniques to assess the utilization of intelligence assets and provide alternate outcomes. Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519, the mighty Aztec Empire was at the height of its power. From their capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztec controlled much of what is now known as Mexico and Central America, ruling an estimated 15 million people. The Aztec palaces were as vast and sophisticated as any of those in Europe and their temples rivaled the Egyptian pyramids.
Fall Of The Aztec Empire Essay
1135 Words | 5 PagesThe Spanish retreated from Tenochtitlan, by fighting their way out, away from the angry mobs. The Spaniards took shelter with the Tlaxacan where they devised a plan to finally to conquer the Aztecs once and for all. The Spaniards, Tlaxacan, and other allied tribes all returned to Tenochtitlan with reinforcements and a siege. After eighty days of bloody battles Cuauhtémoc surrendered to the Spaniards, and that was the end of the Aztec
How Did Cortes Contribute The Most To The Fall Of The Aztec Empire
444 Words | 2 PagesBecause the Aztecs made enemies with the neighbouring groups Cortes was able to gain many more soldiers. Cortes was able to go from 500 soldiers to around 200000. Because the Aztecs have been taking tributes from those neighbouring groups, the indigenous people want to fight the Aztecs and help Cortes. The Aztecs making enemies with the neighbouring groups was a vital reason why Cortes was able to defeat the Aztecs. This helped Cortes able to grow his army from 500 to 200000.
Hernan Cortes Hero
975 Words | 4 PagesThe Spanish were able to colonize Mexico without much resistance.” After the smallpox epidemic, the Aztecs were even more vulnerable. The Spanish exploration and conquering of Tenochtitlan was to gain power for the Spanish empire, but the city’s people were somewhat considered rebellious, and consequently, Cortes needed to conquer/kill the people first. By taking down the people of the city, Cortes was exposed to the city’s great treasures for his reward of gold; he retrieved all the gold he could, and travelled back to Spain where he was labelled a hero for his acts of
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