Two conflicting accounts about the meeting between Spanish conquistador Herman Cortes and the Aztec ruler Montezuma II in 1519. During 1519, Cortés led his people and his army to the Mexican territory where he was received in warm hands by the representatives of the Montezuma II. This was an expression that welcomed them and they become his hosts in his emperor, he was patient until he learnt of the fact that Cortés was forming aliens with his enemies and so as he was a ruler with reasonable mind he sought to have a meeting with him. However, Cortés on the other hand was not aware of the discussions of the meetings and so as he feared, he planned and held Montezuma II captive in his own land. This made the people lose faith in Montezuma as they viewed him as god and the act …show more content…
The spaniland did not accept his offer and so they made an alliance with the opposing of the Aztec ruling. They formed a pact with Montezuma’s enemies. According to Montezuma’s rulers, Montezuma had welcomed Cortés into the capital city of Technochtitlan for their meeting, they were to discuss about their countries and their territories and when Cortés realized that it was a trap, he took the emperor hostage and made him his prisoner in belief that the Aztecs soldier would not attack since he had held their captain captive. Henan Cortés(1986) Montezuma’s incident of being a captive to the Spaniards made his respect erode from his own people and when he tried to meet with his people at public walks he was stoned and
Montezuma was forced to become a subject of King Charles V (Cartwright). Cortés felt strongly against Montezuma's religion, involving sacrifices. He used Montezuma's weaknesses to bring down the empire. Many weeks later, Cortés had to leave to fight in a war against Cuba, and left a Spaniard named Pedro de Alvarado in charge (Gale). While Alvarado was in charge, the Aztecs were having a religious festival.
Cortés was forced to retreat and rebuild his army. He spent the next 10 months conquering other Native Americans and enlisting them as allies against the Aztecs. He also received Spanish reinforcements from Cuba. Cortés invaded the Aztec Empire again in the spring of 1521. He began the siege of Tenochtitlán on May 26.
Hernan Cortes was a spanish conquistador that conquered the Aztec empire. He claimed Mexico for the spanish and became governor of Cuba. Hernan Cortes was born around 1485 in Medellin, Spain and died on december 2,1547 in castilleja de la cuesta, Spain. His parents wanted him to go into a law career. He was a sick child but got better when he went into his teen years.
Conquistador is the spanish word for "conqueror";in English, the word usually refers to the leaders of the Spanish conquests of Mesoamerica and Peru in the sixteenth century. The conquistadors were travelers from Europe who attacked the Native Americans of South America in the late sixteenth century. Before the Spanish's reign of terror and destruction Cortés sent a messenger to meet with the King who sent presents to dissuade him from coming to Tenochtitilán, where he eventually met with him. Cortés did not like being surrounded by Aztec warriors and took the king Montezuma II captive. This led to the downfall of the Native Americans who were conquered and devastated by the Europeans.
The 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.
The strong tactics of the Spanish Conquistadors, the mistakes of Montezuma, and disease lead to the defeat of the Aztec army of 200,000 men. The Spanish Conquistadors had the advantage over the Aztecs, using the allies they had and the technology they used in battle. Montezuma, the ruler of Tenochtitlan made a mistake when the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, by thinking they were Gods.. The conquistadors also brought over diseases, which whipped out most of the Aztec army leading to a slight setback for the Aztecs. The Aztecs then, had no chance against the Spanish.
The treatment of the native inhabitants varied among the three explorers. The worst treatment of the natives was seen in great detail through the perspective of De Las Casas. During his expedition in the Indies, he and his comrades killed millions of the natives to take everything and anything they wanted. He stated, “And thus they have deprived the Indians of their lives and souls, for the millions I mentioned have died without the Faith and without the benefit of the sacraments. This is a well-known and proven fact which even the tyrant Governors, themselves killers, know and admit.
The Aztec leader Montecuhzoma was a poor leader, he wasn’t concerned about the wellbeing of his people. In Broken Spears, readers will see that the Spaniards use nearby tribes to take over the Aztecs land, the Spaniards killed men, women and children. When the Aztecs hear about what the Spaniards have done they become furious and plan to retaliate but are quickly stopped by the diseases brought by the Spaniards. The Aztecs are exposed to small pox and measles but the Spaniards were unaffected by the diseases because they are well known in Europe and they are exposed to diseases
When Cortes and his men first arrived on the island of Cozumel in 1519, they were unaware that a complex and advanced civilization was just beyond the shores of Mexico. Although, as stated, the Aztecs were a rather advanced civilization, when compared to the Spaniards that invaded their city, they were lacking in technology. Cortes used this to his advantage, stunning the natives with displays of cavalry and horses, as he
Outnumbered and fearful of being overrun, Hernan Cortes captured and imprisoned Montezuma in 1520. Cuitlahuac to took over as Emperor retaliated. He led an offensive that drove the Spaniards out Tenochtitlan, Montezuma was killed during the revolt. Deadly small pox brought aboard by the Spanish, severely degraded the Aztec population killing thousands including Cuitlahuac.
They both killed in the name of religion, and both growing empires willing to do anything to gain more power. Cortés was sent on expedition to establish trading deals with the Natives in and around the Yucatan peninsula, under order of Diego Velázquez, who was the Governor of Cuba. Velázquez soon regretted his decision and to stop Cortés from ever leaving
Emily Huckabee HIS 122-601 Fall, 2016 Miguel Leόn-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico Mexican anthropologist and historian Miguel Leόn-Portilla gives his readers an alternative view of the destruction of the Aztec empire in his 1962 novel. His book is one of many written on the fall of the Aztecs. As an author, his book stands out from others because it tells the story from a different perspective, that of the ones being defeated. Portilla, being an expert on the Aztecs, begins by giving a synopsis of the Aztec Indians way of life and how Hernando Cortez, a Spanish conquistador, eventually overcame their empire in the search for gold.
One of the members of his army killed a group of Aztec nobles. Eventually all the riches that belonged to the Aztecs, now belonged to the spanish. Killing, fighting, and punishing was normal for people to do, to find riches. Kidnapping was also something a lot of people did. Remember Cortez?
One of the greatest civilizations of Central America were the Aztecs. However, in 1519 CE, another great civilization from Europe, the Spanish, arrived in Mesoamerica and what ensued was one of the greatest cultural clashes of the time. At the time Montezuma was the ruler of the Aztec empire and the under Montezuma the Aztec empire flourished because of their great wealth and advancements. From 1200-1520 CE, the Aztecs were experiencing a Golden Age where they ruled most of Mexico, the main city being Tenochtitlan. However, all of that came to an abrupt end when Hernando Cortes, the leader of the Spanish fleet that landed in Mexico, began his conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521 CE.
The 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