Having learned of political strife in the Aztec empire
What was the relationship between the Aztecs and Cortes?
Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador , or conqueror, best remembered for conquering the Aztec empire in 1521 and claiming Mexico for Spain. He also helped colonize Cuba and became a governor of New Spain.
What did Cortes want from the Aztecs?
Cortes heard of the gold and treasures of the Aztecs. He wanted to conquer them and take their treasure for Spain . He requested a meeting with the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma II, but was repeatedly turned down. He then decided to march to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
What did Aztecs do when the conquistadors arrived?
The Aztecs decided it was time for the Spanish to leave. They did not want to kill them because they might be gods after all, but the Aztecs wanted them to move along. ... When the Spanish returned, they were prepared. They brought dogs and horses and weapons and many fighting men .
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 was the Aztecs writing called?
The Aztec or Nahuatl script is a pre-Columbian writing system that combines ideographic writing with Nahuatl specific phonetic logograms and syllabic signs which was used in central Mexico by the Nahua people.
Why did Cortes want to defeat the Aztecs?
Why might Cortes have wanted to conquer the Aztec? Cortes might have wanted to conquer the Aztec because he wanted gold, silver, to convert them to Christianity, glory, and greed . ... The advantages that the Spanish had over the Aztec were 16 horses, guns, armor, formed alliances, and diseases, steel.
How did the Spanish treat the Aztecs?
The Spanish had a positive effect on Aztec civilization because they helped modernize the society. They introduced the Aztecs to domestic animals, sugar, grains, and European farming practices. Most significantly, the Spanish ended the Aztec’s practice of human sacrifice .
Were the Aztecs good or bad?
The Aztecs were a sophisticated and powerful people who ruled over nearly 500 smaller states. Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, was a beautiful city of canals, gardens and temples.
How did the Aztecs fall?
Invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés overthrew the Aztec Empire by force and captured Tenochtitlan in 1521, bringing an end to Mesoamerica’s last great native civilization.
How were the Aztecs conquered?
Spanish conquistadores commanded by Hernán Cortés allied with local tribes to conquer the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlán. Cortés’s army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to conquer the city.
What factors allowed the Spanish to conquer the Aztecs?
- Superior Weapons. Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas.
- Alliances and Experience. The invading Spanish forces also took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec and Inca empires.
- The Power of Horses.
- Deadly Disease.
What did the Aztecs think of the Spanish?
The Aztecs first thought the Spanish were gods due to their light skin and dark hair . The Aztecs would pay the Spanish gold and other gifts to celebrate them. The Spanish saw these riches and realized they wanted more but were outnumbered by the Aztecs.
What happened to the Aztecs and Incas?
Both the Aztec and the Inca empires were conquered by Spanish conquistadors ; the Aztec Empire was conquered by Cortés, and the Inca Empire was defeated by Pizarro. The Spanish had an advantage over native peoples because the former had guns, cannons, and horses.
Are Aztec warriors Mexican?
The Aztec Empire was a civilization in central Mexico that thrived in the time before the arrival of European explorers during the Age of Exploration. ... Throughout much of their history, the Aztec were a militaristic people who focused on the expansion of their empire.
Did the Aztecs use hieroglyphics?
The Aztecs didn’t have a writing system as we know it, instead they used pictograms, little pictures that convey meaning to the reader. Pictography combines pictograms and ideograms—graphic symbols or pictures that represent an idea, much like cuneiform or hieroglyphic or Japanese or Chinese characters.
