Who Ruled Mexico At The Time Of The Spanish Conquest?

An artistic rendering of the retreat of Hernán Cortés

Who ruled Mexico before the Spanish?

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.

Who was the Aztec ruler at the time of Spanish conquest?

Montezuma II, also spelled Moctezuma , (born 1466—died c. June 30, 1520, Tenochtitlán, within modern Mexico City), ninth Aztec emperor of Mexico, famous for his dramatic confrontation with the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Who was in charge of the Spanish conquest?

For the conquest era, two names of Spaniards are generally known because they led the conquests of high indigenous civilizations, Hernán Cortés , leader of the expedition that conquered the Aztecs of Central Mexico, and Francisco Pizarro, leader of the conquest of the Inca in Peru.

Who ruled Mexico after Spain?

The Aztec Empire was no more and the New Spain was born.

After the fall of the Aztec Empire, Spain called their new lands the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and ruled over Mexico for the next three hundred years.

How did Spain lose Mexico?

The revolutionary tract called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico, redistribution of land, and racial equality. After some initial successes, Hidalgo was defeated, captured , and executed. ... On August 24, 1821, O’Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, thus ending New Spain’s dependence on Old Spain.

How long did Spain Own Mexico?

For 300 years , Mexico, then known as New Spain, was ruled as a Spanish colony. The colony’s wealth lay in its silver mines and agriculture.

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.

Why did Spain want to conquer 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.

Where did the Aztecs controlled the most powerful empire?

The Aztecs built a rich and powerful empire in central Mexico . Life in the empire was shaped by social structure, religion, and warfare. The first Aztecs were farmers, but when they arrived in Central America, all the good farmland was taken.

How long did the Spanish conquest last?

The story of the Spanish conquest, as it has been commonly understood for 500 years , goes like this: Montezuma surrendered his empire to Cortés. Cortés and his men entered Tenochtitlán and lived there peacefully for months until rebellious Aztecs attacked them.

How did the Spanish justify their conquest of America?

Spain proffered three arguments to justify their seizure of the American continents and their subjugation of the native inhabitants: papal donation, discovery, and conquest . ... This papal donation was a significant argument for title so long as the Catholic Church remained the only spiritual authority in Europe.

Did Spain colonize Mexico?

Colonial Mexico was part of the Spanish Empire and administered by the Viceroyalty of New Spain. ... Hernán Cortés had conquered the great empire of the Aztecs and established New Spain as the largest and most important Spanish colony.

When did Spain lose Mexico?

What part of Mexico did Spain invade?

Accounts by the Spanish conquerors exist from the first landfall at Veracruz, Mexico (on Good Friday, 22 April 1519) to the final victory over the Mexica in Tenochtitlan on 13 August 1521.

When did Spain become Mexico?