Why Was Cortes Able To Conquer The Aztecs
The Spanish conquest of the Americas
The Spanish conquest of the Americas was used with tactics. Cortes with five hundred and eight soldiers defeated the entire Aztec empire. Through disease which would be the smallpox that Cortes and his men were immune to and did not affect them like it did to the Aztecs. The weapons that the Spanish had were more advanced. The Spanish had Indian allies like the Tlaxcala that were at war with the Aztecs already. Luck got Cortes quite far because of the fact that the Aztecs thought that Cortes was a god and they were also in the year in which the Aztecs were unable to fight. Cortes managed to rule over the whole Aztec empire. Without the element of luck Cortes may not have been able to conquer the Aztecs.
Firstly one of the reasons that the Spanish conquered the Aztecs was by sacrificed many people so they were down in numbers and it also angered the people because many of the Mexican tribes tried to oppose and feared the Aztecs because of the Aztec sacrifices. The Aztecs sacrificed between 10,000 and 50,000 victims per year. A lot of the people who were sacrificed were the people that they imprisoned during war. The Aztecs only tried to disarm their enemies and not kill them so that they could use them for the offerings to their gods. They sacrificed people by stretching people over the Alter and a fire
…show more content…
The year that Cortes arrived was the year that the god Quetzalcoatl was meant to return. The god was also meant to return from the east. Cortes also came from the east. The god Quetzalcoatl was said to be a white skinned man who Cortes was also. Montezuma let Cortes come very close to their city because they thought that he was a god. This gave Cortes a big advantage because he managed to get very close. When Cortes saw the city of Tenochtitlan he knows that he would not be able to take it over with force. He became friends with Montezuma and then kept him as a
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
Ap Us History Chapter 1 Questions And Answers
1288 Words | 6 PagesSandra Nava-Martinez P.5 Chapter 2 questions Section 1: 1. The conquistadors came to the Americas to continue the tradition that is “God, Gold, and, Glory.” They wanted to get all the riches that were on the land that they were conquering. Along with this they wanted to teach the people that were on the land about their religious views, and they wanted the glory that they would receive when they returned to their home. 2.The cortes’ conquered the Aztecs by knowing that the native americans that lived in that area hates the Aztecs.
How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec Empire
318 Words | 2 PagesHernan Cortes was a smart soldier, and with all of the knowledge he had, he took over the Aztecs. But how did
Montezuma Research Paper
1059 Words | 5 PagesMontezuma: Rise and Fall Jesse Breitbarth HIST 223 Professor Rerucha 25 September 25, 2015 Known by many names of the same origin but most commonly referred to as Montezuma, was the Aztec civilizations concluding fully appointed ruler. Intricate details are not well known about this prodigious leader from his early ages and his climb into power. What is known lies hazily written and strewn throughout the pages of deep history, depicting conflicting points of view and rare eyewitness accounts taken from oral and written history. Upon the time he acquired the throne as Aztec ruler until his untimely and unfortunate demise, possibly by the very citizens in which he ruled, Montezuma was a leader and speaker for his people, expanding
Advantages Of The Spanish Conquistadors Over The Aztecs
245 Words | 1 PagesThe 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.
Spanish Vs Aztec War
742 Words | 3 PagesThe conflict and defeat of the Aztecs was not avoidable because the Spanish were looking for gold and land, and would have eventually come into contact with the Aztecs no matter who found the land of Tenochtitlan first. Since the Aztecs had everything the Spaniards wanted, it was likely that a battle between the two was bound to happen. In war the Spanish had a large advantage because of their weapons and battle gear. If the Aztecs came into contact with the Spanish, they were likely to die because of the disease the Spaniards carried with them. Also, a lot of enemies were created against the Aztecs because of the human sacrifices they had to make in order to nourish their gods.
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.
Spanish Influence On Native Americans
1231 Words | 5 PagesSo with the tactic, Guile and surprise, which was used with great effect against the Americans, the natives had to find a solution to this Spanish strategy. So, the Aztecs soon became aware of the ways that the Europeans fought, and this almost led to their victory. This, near destruction of the Spanish was not only from the pure initiative of the Aztecs and predictability of the Spanish but also from the massive numbers, especially the Incans, had over the Spanish “ If twenty-five thousand indians perished for every spaniard, his men would still be destroyed” - Cortes (page 171, 1969, the conquistadors, George Rainbird). All the Aztec and Incan warriors were familiar with the land, giving them the advantage of the land “ Which ever figure is correct, it’s terraces and it’s single stairway of 114 steps made it a natural fortress” (page 171, 1969, The Conquistadors, george rainbird).
Battle Of Tenochtitlan Analysis
1094 Words | 5 PagesHe received intelligence that many tribes feared and resented the ruler Montezuma. Cortes took advantage and made alliances with rival tribes and convinced them to march with him to Tenochtitlan. November 1519, Cortes and his men reached the capital city and were greeted with a procession and gifts from the Emperor. Montezuma believed Cortes to be the return of the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, who was prophesied to conquer his people and bring about peace. Other historians claim that Montezuma welcomed Cortes to the city from a position of strength and the gifts offered were a demonstration of power.
Fall Of The Aztec Empire Essay
1135 Words | 5 PagesThe fall of the Aztec Empire was due to the determination of the Spaniards. The Spaniards were destructive. They did not respect the Natives’ religions at all. They almost destroyed all of the Natives’ culture, and now we know very little about Natives. The Spaniards’ greed and obsession with power, this was their main motivation to conquer the Aztec Empire.
The Aztec Dbq
679 Words | 3 PagesOn the other hand the Aztecs had no horses which was a disadvantage for them. The aztecs had a war club instead of a sword. It was so heavy that the fighter had to use both hands to carry it. The downside it was they could not carry a shield with them like the spanish did to protect themselves . The Aztecs had a spear instead of a halberd.
Compare And Contrast The Spanish And The Aztec
332 Words | 2 PagesBy 1250, they settled near the shores of Lake Texcoco and by 1325 they had begun building the majestic city of Tenochtitlan. In 1518 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes held an expedition to conquer Mexico and the Aztec holds almost the central and southern of Mexico. The Aztec was also in a never ending
How Effective Was The Spanish Conquest Of The Maya Indians?
467 Words | 2 Pagesessie Sisavat Professor Duarte History 40 September 21, 2015 Reaction One 1. How effective or not was the Spanish conquest of the Maya Indians and why? Explain.
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
More about Why Was Cortes Able To Conquer The Aztecs
How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec
259 Words | 2 PagesHow Did The Tlaxcalans Benefit From Conquering Mexico
272 Words | 2 PagesAp Us History Chapter 1 Questions And Answers
1288 Words | 6 PagesHow Did Hernan Cortes Conquer The Aztec Empire
318 Words | 2 PagesMontezuma Research Paper
1059 Words | 5 PagesAdvantages Of The Spanish Conquistadors Over The Aztecs
245 Words | 1 PagesSpanish Vs Aztec War
742 Words | 3 PagesThe Broken Spears Summary
573 Words | 3 PagesSpanish Influence On Native Americans
1231 Words | 5 PagesBattle Of Tenochtitlan Analysis
1094 Words | 5 PagesFall Of The Aztec Empire Essay
1135 Words | 5 PagesThe Aztec Dbq
679 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast The Spanish And The Aztec
332 Words | 2 PagesHow Effective Was The Spanish Conquest Of The Maya Indians?
467 Words | 2 PagesHernan Cortes Hero
975 Words | 4 Pages