Conquistadors: The Rise And Fall Of The Aztec Empire

Before the conquistadors arrived in the Aztec empire, the city Tenochtitlan had some unusual, natural disaster in which between the years of 1517 and 1519, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan had an earthquake, then Lake Texcoco had flooded the capital city. The Aztecs believed these disasters warned of the fall of their empire and the return of their god. In 1519, the Spanish explorer, Hernan Cortes arrived on the east coast of Mexico and to make sure his men cooperated with him marching across the jungle, he proceeded burned all of his ships. He continued his journey and took out the local tribe of indians. For 83 days straight, Cortes and his men marched across jungles and mountains into the Valley of Mexico. Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan with
Cortes captured the Aztec gold and silver and then sent it to Spain. Within two years, the Spanish weapons and European diseases had destroyed the Aztec civilization completely. Spain began to rule Mexico and built Mexico City where Tenochtitlan had been. The defeated Aztecs were put to work by tearing down old statues and buildings. The Spanish capital would have new buildings made out of the stones of Tenochtitlán. On the sites of Aztec temples, Catholic churches were built and the conquerors built palaces for themselves. The city of Tenochtitlán was renamed Mexico, “the place of the Mexicas,” which served as another name for the Aztecs. It also became the capital of New Spain which is named Mexico City, the capital of the nation
They continued their search through the Andes Mountains for two years. One day, Pizarro and his men came across a large Inca camp; the Inca Empire covered 3,000 miles of the western coast of South America. The Inca civilization was very advanced; they built a network of roads and stations connecting the Inca towns and also had the people pay taxes in which some paid in corn and potatoes or gold as well. However, the Incan empire fell to Pizarro after a previous war that weakened them. Further down by the south, Francisco Pizarro reached Peru, Atahualpa, and the son of the former Inca ruler had just defeated his brother in a war for the Inca throne; he was then carried to Pizarro on a golden throne lined with parakeet feathers. Around his neck he wore a necklace of giant green emerald and gold ornaments decorated his hair. Pizarro's priests asked Atahualpa to give up the Inca religion and accept Christianity and the King of Spain as ruler. Atahualpa was arrogant and he did not pay attention to the threat the Spaniards posed. When the Inca Emperor refused, Pizarro took him prisoner. Atahualpa promised Pizarro enough silver and gold to fill a whole room in order to gain his freedom from the Spaniards After the Incas provided