Download How the Aztecs were Conquered

The Fall of the Aztecs
EQ: Why was Cortes initially welcomed into the Aztec
Capital of Tenochtitlan?
ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH
Hernando Cortes, the
Spanish conquistador
(conqueror), landed on
the shores of central
Mexico in April 1519,
seeking adventure and
wealth.
With him were over
550 men, 16 horses,
14 cannons, and a few
dogs.
ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH
He was greeted by messengers of the Aztec ruler
Moctezuma. Wanting to show the Aztec his power, Cortes
had the ships' cannons fired. The Aztec were stunned.
They rushed back and reported to Moctezuma.
ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH
The Aztec had never seen cannons or horses or men with
white skin before. "When Moctezuma heard this report, he
was seized with fright. His heart grew weak to the point of
faintness…. And despair overcame him."
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
Moctezuma
first thought
that Cortes
might be
Quetzalcoatl
(keht sahl koh
AHTL), an
ancient god
who had
returned to
earth to control
the Aztec
kingdom.
Moctezuma welcomed the
Spanish into Tenochtitlan (the
Aztec capital) saying, "It appears
that our Lord has returned to his
country. Go and receive him
worthily."
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
•But soon he learned he had made a terrible
mistake.
•Only a few days later Cortes took Moctezuma
hostage.
•Moctezuma ordered vast amounts of gold and
silver brought to the palace, hoping the foreigners
would take it and leave his city.
•But they did not. Moctezuma remained a prisoner.
Even worse, his people blamed him for the Spanish
takeover of the capital.
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
•Six months later,
one of Cortes'
leaders massacred
thousands of Aztec
people, causing
a massive Aztec
rebellion.
•Moctezuma died in
the rebellion,
but who killed himthe Spanish, or his
own people?
•After the rebellion the Aztec forced
the Spanish out of their capital.
Cortes lost most of his army in his
retreat.
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
The remaining Spanish
escaped to a Tlaxcalan camp.
The Tlaxcalan
had hated the
Aztec for a
long time, so
Cortes had no
problem
persuading
them to help
him defeat the
Aztec.
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
•Other
conquered
tribes eagerly
joined the army.
•In May 1521,
the Spanish led
a huge army of
angry tribes
against the
Aztec capital.
Cortez Conquers the Aztecs
•August 13,
1521,after fierce
fighting, with most of
their warriors dead
from disease,
starvation, or war
wounds, the Aztec
gave up.
•Within two years'
time the Spanish had
destroyed the Aztec
Empire.
Why did the Spanish Defeat the
Aztecs So Easily?
 First:
Spanish had superior weapons
(crossbows, Cannons)
 Second: Different War Fighting techniques.
Aztecs fought to capture the enemy so they
could be sacrificed in a ceremony…the
Spanish just killed as many Aztecs as they
could.
Why did the Spanish Defeat the
Aztecs So Easily?
 Third:
The Aztec were heavy handed, and
treated other conquered native tribes very
poorly; many of those tribes were happy to
help Cortes fight the Aztec.
 Fourth: DISEASE. Smallpox and measles,
specially, decimated the Aztecs and other
native tribes. Easily the biggest killer; the
battles were secondary to the deaths
inflicted with these two diseases.