Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador, or conqueror, best remembered for conquering the Aztec empire in 1521 and claiming Mexico for Spain.”He was a smart, ambitious man who wanted to appropriate new land for the Spanish crown, convert native inhabitants to Catholicism, and plunder the lands for gold and riches.”
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Why did Spain take over Mexico?
Spain wanted the material aid and mineral wealth from the colony, and felt obligated to spread Christianity to the natives.Spanish conquerors, led by Hernan Cortes, allied with Tlaxcalan tribes conquered the Aztecs. Therefore, Spaniards won, and since that day, Mexico became a colony of Spain.
How did Spanish get to Mexico?
The first Spaniards who arrived in Mexico were soldiers and sailors from Extremadura, Andalucía and La Mancha after the conquest of the Americas. At the end of the 16th century both commoner and aristocrat from Spain were migrating to Mexico.
What did Spain steal from Mexico?
Cortes immediately sent his men to those places to investigate. Montezuma had allowed the Spaniards to stay at the lavish palace of Axayacatl, a former tlatoani of the empire and Montezuma’s father. One day, the Spanish discovered a vast treasure behind one of the walls: gold, jewels, idols, jade, feathers and more.
Why did the Aztecs lose to the Spanish?
The overthrow of the Aztec Empire by Cortez and his expedition rests on three factors: The fragility of that empire, the tactical advantages of Spanish technology, and smallpox.
What did the Aztecs think of the Spanish?
Thinking that Cortés could be Quetzalcoatl, Montezuma greeted the party with great honor. Montezuma sent out envoys to meet the conquistador as he neared. The Aztecs were fascinated by the Spaniards’ light skin and the sight of men on horseback, which they described as beasts with two heads and six legs.
What was Mexico before it was Mexico?
For 300 years, Mexico, then known as New Spain, was ruled as a Spanish colony.
When did Spanish leave Mexico?
The mainland of New Spain was organized as the Mexican Empire. This ephemeral Catholic monarchy was overthrown and a federal republic declared in 1823 and codified in the Constitution of 1824.
Mexican War of Independence.
| Date | 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821 (11 years, 1 week and 4 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mexico |
What happened when Spain took over Mexico?
The Spanish conquistador led an expedition to present-day Mexico, landing in 1519. Although the Spanish forces numbered some 500 men, they managed to capture Aztec Emperor Montezuma II. The city later revolted, forcing Cortés and his men to retreat.
Did Spain ever apologize?
That has been probably the only apology ever given to native nations. In some cases, Spain and other western nations have supported native endeavours, as they should. But other than Canada, none have even hinted at an apology.
Has the Aztec treasure been found?
After they buried the cache in the desert, the warriors sacrificed their slaves to watch over it for eternity. Cortés and his men scoured the region, but the treasure of Montezuma was—and remains—nowhere to be found.
How did Mexico win independence from Spain?
The Mexican War of Independence began on September 16, 1810, when Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla declared independence in the town of Dolores.In 1821, Spanish soldier Agustín de Iturbide decamped and joined the Mexican movement. He led troops in capturing Mexico City and declared it independent.
What did the Spanish have that the Aztecs didn t?
The Spanish brought chickenpox, smallpox, measles, mumps, and rubella to the new world.The advantages that the Spanish had over the Aztec were 16 horses, guns, armor, formed alliances, and diseases, steel.
How many Aztecs were killed by the Spanish?
| Fall of Tenochtitlan | |
|---|---|
| Casualties and losses | |
| 450–860 Spanish 20,000 Tlaxcaltecs | 100,000 killed in action 300 war canoes sunk At least 40,000 Aztecs civilians killed and captured, other sources claim 100,000 to 240,000 were killed in the campaign overall including warriors and civilians |
What happened to the Aztecs after they were conquered?
The Aztec empire collapsed, its temples were defaced or destroyed, and its fine art melted down into coins. Ordinary people suffered from the European-introduced diseases which wiped out up to 50% of the population, and their new overlords did not turn out to be any better than the Aztecs.
Who did the Aztecs mistake for Cortes?
Although Montezuma II did not trust Cortés, he also was worried that Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Aztec mythology said that Quetzalcoatl would come to Earth as a man and Cortés had arrived on Quetzalcoatl’s birthday. Cortés arrived with around 500 men, 16 horses, and some cannon.
Did the Mayans think the Spanish were gods?
But they never thought that they were exactly gods. Mexica religious imagery was complex, with intricate symbolism and did not correspond completely with the image of the Spanish soldier who came to his eyes in 1519.
Why did the Aztecs fall?
Disease. When the Spanish arrived, they brought with them smallpox.Smallpox spread among the indigenous people and crippled their ability to resist the Spanish. The disease devastated the Aztec people, greatly reducing their population and killing an estimated half of Tenochtitlán’s inhabitants.
What did the Aztecs call Mexico?
Anahuac
Anahuac (meaning land surrounded by water) was the name in Nahuatl given to what is now Mexico during Pre-Hispanic times. When the Spanish conquistadors besieged México-Tenochtitlan in 1521, it was almost completely destroyed.
What was Mexico called before Spain?
This land was called the Viceroyalty of New Spain or Nueva Espana. The natives of the country have long called it Mexico, however. The country of Mexico was named after its capital city, Mexico City.
Who owned Mexico first?
The Aztec Empire was the last great civilization prior to the arrival of the Spanish. They came into power in 1325 and ruled until 1521. In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs and Mexico became a Spanish colony. For 300 years Spain ruled the land until the early 1800s.
