The Aztecs no longer trusted Montezuma, they were short on food, and the smallpox epidemic was under way. More than 3 million Aztecs died from smallpox, and with such a severely weakened population, it was easy for the Spanish to take Tenochtitlán
Why did Cortes want to conquer the Aztecs?
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.
Why were the Spanish able to conquer the Aztecs?
Hernan Cortes was able to conquer the Aztec Empire by scaring the natives with the 16 horses , gaining alliances with the other enemies of the Aztec, having superior and better weapons than the natives (like guns), having armor, and having steel.
What were three reasons why the Spanish defeated the Aztecs?
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 .
When did the Spanish take over the Aztecs?
And yet Tenochtitlán was swiftly conquered by the Spanish in 1521 —less than two years after Hernándo Cortés and Spanish conquistadors first set foot in the Aztec capital on November 8, 1519.
What was a major reason for the end of the Aztec empire?
Lacking food and ravaged by smallpox disease earlier introduced by one of the Spaniards, the Aztecs, now led by Cuauhtemoc, finally collapsed after 93 days of resistance on the fateful day of 13th of August, 1521 CE.
Did Montezuma think Cortés was a God?
An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl , who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom. Quetzalcoatl, “the feathered serpent,” stood for the solar light, the morning star. He symbolized knowledge, arts, and religion.
Did Spanish conquistadors have guns?
The conquistadors' weapons were rapiers and two-handed broadswords, pikes and halberds, crossbows and match- lock muskets, and a few cannons .
What language did Aztecs speak?
The Aztec Empire at its height included speakers of at least 40 languages. Central Nahuatl , the dominant language of the Triple Alliance states, was one of several Aztecan or Nahua languages in Mesoamerica that was widespread in the region long before the Aztec period.
What helped the Spanish defeat the Aztecs the most?
The Spanish colonizers defeated the Aztec Empire through more advanced weaponry, the introduction of European diseases , and creating alliances with smaller indigenous tribes in the region who had been resentfully living under the forced rule of the Aztec Empire.
What did the Aztecs call the Spanish?
And they called the Spanish language ‘ the tongue of the coyotes ‘ or perhaps better ‘coyote-speak' (coyoltlahtolli). Apparently the Totonac people referred to the Spanish invaders as ‘snakes'.
What did the Spaniards think of the Aztecs?
The Spanish seemed to have somewhat mixed feelings about the Aztecs. They were awe inspired by the Aztec magnificent capital city, Tenochtitlan ...
How many Aztecs were killed by the Spanish?
Within five years as many as 15 million people – an estimated 80% of the population – were wiped out in an epidemic the locals named “cocoliztli”. The word means pestilence in the Aztec Nahuatl language.
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 .
How much gold did the Spanish take from the Aztecs?
At that point, it is estimated that the Spanish had amassed some eight thousand pounds of gold and silver, not to mention plenty of feathers, cotton, jewels and more. Cortes ordered the king's fifth and his own fifth loaded onto horses and Tlaxcalan porters and told the others to take what they wanted.
What was the original name of the Aztecs?
The Mexica or Mexicas — called Aztecs in occidental historiography, although this term is not limited to the Mexica — were an indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico, known today as the rulers of the Aztec empire.
