In 1519‚ Hernando Cotes‚ a Spanish explorer‚ arrived in Vera Cruz‚ Mexico. He arrived the same month and year that Quetzalcoatl‚ a god some Aztecs believed in‚ was to return. The Aztecs believed Cortes to be Quetzalcoatl. Cortes‚ along with his conquistadors‚ took over the Aztec Empire. To begin with‚ Cortes faked being Quetzalcoatl. He then imprisoned Moctezuma‚ an Aztec ruler‚ and seized control of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was eventually destroyed along with the entire Aztec Empire on August 13th
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MOTIVES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO IMPERIALISM Imperialism is defined in the dictionary as being a " The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic and political hegemony over other nations" (p 681 American Heritage college Dictionary). Usually people associate imperialism as being the domination of a small country by a larger‚ more powerful country‚ usually to the advantage of the larger country. At the beginning of the nineteenth century most of the
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biases should be perceived through their effort to convince their audience and what they hope to accomplish. Hernán Cortés’ letter to the crown describing the first encounters with the Mexica natives is brief‚ yet his message is clear. He recounts that on his journey to Tenochtitlan a number of Moctezuma’s emissaries met with him with great respect however their leader “ begged [Cortés]‚ not to go [to Tenochtitlan]‚ for [he] would suffer many hardships”‚ yet despite their protests still “gave [him]
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2 By 1502‚ Montezuma had fulfilled this prophecy as the leader of the Aztec empire‚ reclaiming the wealth and prosperity of his Toltec ancestors through the strength of the Aztec peoples‚ culture‚ and religion. It is strange to imagine that even Cortés recognized himself that with one order to his army Montezuma could “obliterate all memory of [Cortez and his men].”3 Yet‚ as history happened‚ Montezuma would fall from power at the hands of Cortez‚ and at what would seem to be due to a choice influenced
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enemies was the Totonac Indians who welcomed Grijalva and his men in hopes of destroying Aztec rule2. Hernán Cortés followed Grijalva’s expeditions and made several key alliances along the way. In 1519‚ Cortés meets and joins Gerónimo de Aguilar‚ a castaway who lived among the Indians of the Yucatán for 8 years‚ and Aguilar serves as a resourceful translator3. Several months later‚ Cortés acquires another translator as a spoil from his victory against the Mayas. His interpreter and mistress “Malinche
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the Spanish arrived at the land of Tenochtitlan‚ the Aztecs considered that these Spaniards were exceptional for the human sacrifice. Though the emperor thought contrarily‚ Moctezuma believed that Cortes resembled their god Quetzalcoatl‚ including the magnificent coincidence regarding the arrival of Cortes and the
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History Channel - "Cortes: Conqueror of Mexico" Instructor: Laura L. Ramirez Cruz DVD Summary: Hernan Cortes was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. Cortes was a part of the generation of Spanish conquistadores that began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. 1. When Hernan Cortes and his men first arrived
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The Conquest of Mexico and the conversion of the peoples of New Spain can and should be included among the histories of the world‚ not only because it was well done but because it was very great. . . . Long live‚ then‚ the name and memory of him [Cortés] who conquered so vast a land‚ converted such a multitude of men‚ cast down so many men‚ cast down so many men‚ cast down so many idols‚ and put an end to so much sacrifice and the eating of human flesh! —Francisco López de Gómara (1552) When people
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True history of the Conquest of New Spain This Article was a written by a solider named Bernal Diaz del Castillo during 1560 about his March to Tenochtitian. Bernal wrote about his march lead by captain Cortes. He describes all the trails and tribulations they encountered on his journey. They were sent by King Charles V to meet with prince Moctezuma in Mexico. This article was a correction to a previously published account written by a noneyewittness. Bernal felt that the published version
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Spaniards allied with the Tlaxcalan indians and marched into Tenochtitlan. Montezuma welcomed in Quetzalcoatl’s men with open arms‚ but Hernan Cortes seized power of the empire by using Montezuma as a figurehead against his will‚ while Cortes made all the real decisions. Cortes acted as a secret leader until 1520‚ when events caused tension to escalate‚ and Cortes demanded Montezuma command his people obey the Spaniards. The Indians didn’t like this at all‚ and showered their leader in stones‚ he then
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