The Spanish Conquest
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During 1518, the explorer Hernando Cortes sailed from Cuba with 600 men and 17 horses. He sailed to Veracruz where he began his march towards Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, when alerted of Cortes' presence, sent gifts along with the request that Cortes depart. Montezuma was quite aware of the Quetzalcoatl legend that their God would fulfil his promise to return someday. Cortes and his men gained allies form the Indian tribes on their march towards Tenochtitlan. the Indian tribes resented the Aztecs and viewed the Spaniards as liberators form the tax gatherers and human sacrificial victims. The Aztecs began to believe that Cortes was a benevolent man with supernatural powers. All the while, Montezuma had been worried and defiant as he learned of Cortes' approach. Montezuma prepared himself to receive the visitors in fulfilment of the ancient prophecy. Cortes took advantage of an opportunity of Montezuma alone and gave him a choice of immediate death or living in Cortes' quarters as a guest. Montezuma turned over all his treasures to Cortes. In 1520, the Aztecs fought back against the Spaniards and drove them out of Tenochtitlan. However, the following year, Tenochtitlan was captured. Although many Spaniards died in the battle, they had won. The Aztec capital was finally destroyed on August 31, 1521. They destroyed Tenochtitlan house by house and built Mexico city on top of the destroyed Tenochtitlan. |
