StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Spanish Conquest over Aztecs - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The author focuses on Aztec, an impressive empire that operated in Tenochtitlan. The city of Tenochtitlan exhibited splendid resources like lakes, cities, and canals that were used for trade. Spanish rule in Cuba deployed spies under the leadership of Cortes to investigate Mexico’s ways of life. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.5% of users find it useful
Spanish Conquest over Aztecs
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Spanish Conquest over Aztecs"

SPANISH CONQUEST OVER THE AZTECS Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Aztec was an impressive .empire that operated inTenochtitlan, Mexico. The city of Tenochtitlan exhibited splendid resources like lakes, beautiful cities and good canals that were used for trade. Due to its superb features, Spanish rule in Cuba deployed spies under the leadership of Herna Cortes to investigate Mexico’s ways of life and capture Christian slaves who would work in the European farms (Aron 2005, 160). Upon arrival in Mexico, Cortes Chief commander and his loyal troops changed their plans of captivating slaves to desire for conquering Mexico (Aron 2005, 160).

The conquest war would not be possible without the approval of King Charles V of Spain. For this reason Cortes wrote to the King claiming that Aztecs were hypocrites and that the ruling authority of the empire was brutal to its people. Upon obtaining the king’s approval, Cortes identified and liaised with the native friends who were foes of the Aztecs. Cortes and his troops gained support of Cempoalans and the Tlaxcalans who were natives of Mexico (Boyer 2010, 279). On arriving in Tenochtitlan city, the existing populace thought that the White Cortes was their Quetzalcoatlin god whom they waited to return (Palfrey 2008).

As a result of the illusion, Montezuma, emperor of the Aztec welcomed Cortes and provided him with everything to satisfy his troops. It is due to the perceived trust that Cortes strategized his plans to concede the objectives of conquest. Cortes first captured and imprisoned Montezuma thereby driving the Aztecs into fear thus admitting their submission to the Spaniards. The Spaniards also conducted massive massacre in a religious function that continued to freeze the Aztecs (Hassig 2006, 9).

In 1521, Cortes and his troops gathered with Tlaxcalans and planned to deny the Aztecs food and water thereby resulting to starvation that led to death of many people (Aron 2005, 162). Cortes and his troops also took advantage of the outbreak of diseases like smallpox that weakened inhabitants of Tochtitlan thus easing seizure of the entire Aztec Empire. Bibliography Aron, P., 2005, Mysteries in history: from prehistory to the present, Santa Barbara, CA; ABC-CLIO Publishing. Boyer, J., 2010, The Plaid Avengers World, 4th Ed, Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Hassig, R., 2006, Mexico and the Spanish conquest, 2nd Ed, Norman; University of Oklahoma Press Palfrey, D., 2008, The Spanish Conquest (1519-1521), Retrieved October 16, 2011 from http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1538-the-spanish-conquest-1519-1521

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 35”, n.d.)
Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 35. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1581944-essay
(Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words - 35)
Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words - 35. https://studentshare.org/history/1581944-essay.
“Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words - 35”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1581944-essay.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Spanish Conquest over Aztecs

Analysis of Victor and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico

These Spanish Conquistadors developed an interest in the land of the aztecs mainly because they considered Mexica a great deal of “civilization”.... Particularly, the Spanish Conquistadors believed that they were in the war and they had to fulfill their quest to overturn and rule the Mexican Empire by conquering and colonizing the aztecs via their Christian faith and religious beliefs.... Despite both sides put down different accounts for their story, the overall belief derived after reading the book highlights that the conquest and takeover of the Mexican Empire would come just as deities and mystics of the aztecs opined....
6 Pages (1500 words) Book Report/Review

The Role of Environmental and Geographical Factors in the Conquest of the Aztec Empire

hellip; One among such researchers is Jared Diamond, a prominent scientist and author, who sheds light on this subject and asserts that the fall of the aztecs, was due to prevalent environmental and geographical factors during that point of time.... With the help of farming and cultivation the aztecs were able to yield a lot of food surplus that could support non-farmers as well as women and children.... These germs caused an incurable disease at the time, namely small-pox, to which the aztecs had no resistance....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Discovery and conquest of the Americas

For this reason he includes accounts from the aztecs, some written only seven years after the arrival of the Spaniards, and in their own languages.... The letters were written over a period of several years, and so each one covers a considerable period of time, looking back in some instances over two years, but they are the nearest we are likely to find in that time to topical news reporting, even if biased in its outlook.... The essay "The Discovery and conquest of the Americas" will consider three primary sources concerned with Herman Cortes' and the Conquistador's conquest of parts of the Americas… What is written, including the style of the text, may depend upon the position of the writer; his expected audience; the effect they are trying to achieve; and the effects the events have upon them, as well as the time which has elapsed since the events took place and the context politically and religiously....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Africans in the Conquest of Mesoamerica

These are the structural realities which must be accepted when attempting to assess and interpret the meaning of the role and experience of African slaves in the spanish conquest of Mesoamerica, or as it is known today, Mexico.... So much so that it can be said that not only were Africans central to the Spanish crown's conquest and colonization of... As Americans, our tendency is to look to our southern neighbors as speakers of spanish, who have themselves experienced historical experiences similar to our own....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Corts Conquest of Central Mexico

He is remembered for having suppressed the aztecs and making Mexico a Spanish empire.... uring his stay here, Cortés learned that the aztecs under the rule of their powerful leader Montezuma II were a powerful primary force in Mexico.... After extensive research that took six months, he discovered the Tlaxcala's who was a native group and great enemies of the aztecs (Schwartz and Stuart B, 2000, pg 41).... In the following paper “Cortés conquest of Central Mexico,” the author discusses Hernán Cortés who is a well-known Spaniard conquistador and in the history of Mexico....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment

The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs

This is in mass The spanish conquest of the Aztecs The spanish conquest of the Aztecs was: a holocaust or a necessity?... Presently, the aztecs will have a strong empire whose basis is Christianity besides people holding onto the notion former prophesy came to its fulfilment with the arriving of Cortes.... In addition, its military skills would be extremely sound based on how then the region's neighbours contended aztecs were incomparable (Carrasco & Scott 74)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Conquest of Mexico by Spanish Conquistadors

Cortes was aware of aztecs, realizing that they together with Montezuma II, who served as their leader, served as the key driving forces of Mexico.... While marching through Mexico, he experienced several natives referred to as Tlaxcala, who served as aztecs' enemies.... The light skin of the Spaniards while riding horses amazed the aztecs, which they considered as beasts having six legs and two heads.... As such, Cortes was driven by the urge to rule over them....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro

In later years, Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, two of the Spanish conquistadors anhiliated two of the most prosperous civilizations of that time – the aztecs and the Incas.... It was done to inflict fear upon the minds of the aztecs waiting for him at Tenochtitlan.... Long before the British, the Spaniards affiliated by their king, went on to explore the new world over the sea and came back with success.... Cortes and the conquest of Mexico....
6 Pages (1500 words) Article
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us