A history of the collision of the spaniards and the aztecs

How much is myth? Most first-hand accounts about the conquest of the Aztec Empire. As allies of the Spaniards, the Tlaxcalans gained the most. It had not suffered a single defeat for years. Aztec warriors had several opportunities to kill Cortez.

Spanish Conquest Many Mesoamerican civilizations were wiped out by disease. A prime objective was the capture of prisoners for sacrifice.

11e. Clash of Cultures: Two Worlds Collide

Without their armor, weapons, and training, they would have surely been annihilated. After his victory, Cortes razed Tenochtitla and built Mexico City on its ruins; it quickly became the premier European center in the New World.

Though the Aztecs had superior numbers, their weapons were inferior, and Cortes was able to immediately take Montezuma and his entourage of lords hostage, gaining control of Tenochtitla. On August 13,Tenochtitlan fell.

Cortes and some soldiers then marched into Mexico, aided by a native woman known as Malinche, who served as a translator.

The Aztec Vault

The Ancient Civilizations Crumble Was this a political blunder or a shrewd tactical move? Their relatively sophisticated system of agriculture including intensive cultivation of land and irrigation methods and a powerful military tradition would enable the Aztecs to build a successful state, and later an empire.

Thrown by the thousands, these projectiles inflicted many wounds and a number of casualties among the conquistadors. Above all there was the Spanish sword. Tlacaelel[ edit ] Tlacaelel was one of the primary architects of the Aztec empire. Horses, which the Aztecs had never encountered, gave the Spaniards greater mobility.

Cortes returns to the coast to defeat a rival Spanish army. Many deeply resented Aztec rule, their dreaded tax collectors, and the massive tributes they paid. First they set siege to Tenochtitlan, denying it food and fresh water.

Religious, yes, but the nobles were also well educated. A well placed, heavy cannon shot could easily kill over a dozen targets if they are in line with the muzzle.The Aztecs were conquered by Spain in after a long siege of the capital, Tenochtitlan, where much of the population died from hunger and smallpox.

Cortés, with Spaniards, did not fight alone but with as many asorallies from Tlaxcala, and eventually other Aztec tributary states.

It was not difficult for Cortes to find allies to fight with him, the Aztecs were not generally liked by the. Montezuma was the unluckiest of kings. History elected him to oversee the ruin of the last great Central American empire.

Other Aztec rulers had encountered setbacks in their conquests. For Montezuma it was different. He confronted an alien empire from across the sea.

The Fall of the Aztec Empire

In its leader, the Spaniard. Using the Spaniards as a vessel, it killed over 80 percent, which was approximately 11 million people, of the original population of Tenochtitlan. [ 8 ] It is difficult to fathom how the Aztecs felt as they watched millions of people die.

The Spanish Impact on the Aztec Civilization Hernando Cortes and Soldiers first land The Aztec's "Aztec" is a very broad term Historians call them this to better group them. For the purpose of this presentation, they will be referred to as Aztecs.

Cortes Meets Moctezuma Cortes made his way. Watch video · The Aztecs appeared in Mesoamerica–as the south-central region of pre-Columbian Mexico is known–in the early 13th century. Their arrival came just. Start studying AP U.S.

History Chapter 1: The Collision of Cultures. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

the Aztecs and other ancient cultures existed. which resulted in driving the Spaniards out of New Mexico.

A history of the collision of the spaniards and the aztecs
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