1. A Deadly Meeting
Chapter 10

2. Cortes the Conquistador
Hernan Cortes was a very ambitious and adventurous young man.
Defeating the Muslims, and the Spanish Inquisition had made religious and political unity in Spain. Cortes grew up during this time, and he embodied the Spanish worldview in many ways.
Conquistador- Conqueror. Spanish Solders and Explorers.
Cortes the Conquistador

3. Cortes the Conquistador
Columbus’ journey to the Caribbean interested Cortes greatly. He soon decided to set sail for the Caribbean himself. At the age of 19, Cortes set sail for the “New World”.
Cortes the Conquistador

4. He arrived in Hispaniola ( today’s Dominica Republic and Haiti) in 1504.
The governor gave him a large farm but he wanted gold, not to ‘till the land like a peasant’.
Cortes was asked to join an expedition to conquer Cuba, Cortes accepted.
300 men conquered Cuba using their ‘formula’.
A not so Secret Formula

5. Conquistadors Formula
1. conquistadors set out from a recent colony.
2. Tried to meet peacefully with the first indigenous people that they encountered. They would try to find out what area was most powerful.
3. The Spanish would invite the leader of the powerful tribe to exchange gifts, and then they would take him hostage, and threaten to kill him if his people did not cooperate with the demands of the Spanish.
4. If the Spanish had to fight, they would try to fight on open ground, where their horses, armor and weapons gave them a huge advantage.
5. the leader of the expedition would remain as the leader of the new colony, and the second in command would plan out the next expedition. The indigenous would be forced into slavery.
Conquistadors Formula

6. The Richest Man Whoever Crossed the Seas
Cortes stayed in Cuba for 8 years. He was 2nd in command to Governor Velazquez. Cortes grew restless. The Yucatan Peninsula had started to interest him as the next expedition. Velazquez sent out Expeditions to scout the Yucatan. They came back saying that the Spanish had never encountered such powerful, and rich civilizations such as the those in the Yucatan. Cortes had been waiting for an opportunity like this. He searched Cuba for resources. He came up with 11 ships, 508 fighting men, 100 sailors, 200 slaves, and 16 horses.
The Richest Man Whoever Crossed the Seas

7. The Richest Man Whoever Crossed the Seas
Before leaving Cuba Cortes gave his men an inspirational speech to raise their spirits about the long journey, stating that if these men do not abandon him, he will make them the richest men to cross the seas. Velazquez tried to cancel Cortes’ expedition, fearing that Cortes would not give him authority over the land Cortes found. Cortes ignored Velazquez, leaving Cuba without him knowing.
The Richest Man Whoever Crossed the Seas

8. Cortes arrives in Mexico
Before Cortes attacked the Aztecs, he had established a town on the coast of Mexico. The town was called La Villa Rica Dela Veracruz. Cortes declared this town an independent government which meant that he was responsible to King Carlos I of Spain rather than to Velazquez. Cortes sent one treasure ship back to Spain but sunk the other 10 so that any men that were still loyal to Velazquez could not foil his expedition by returning to Cuba instead of Spain.
Cortes arrives in Mexico

9. Unequal fight Weapons Unknown to the Aztecs
Muskets and cannons took the Aztecs by complete surprise. The firearms made loud booming noises that the Aztecs thought was thunder and lightning. Horses were unknown to the Aztecs as well, the animals size, strength, power and speed fascinated the Aztecs. The Aztecs did not stand a chance when it came to fighting with the Spanish.
Unequal fight Weapons Unknown to the Aztecs

10. European explorers also brought diseases to the New World
European explorers also brought diseases to the New World. A Smallpox epidemic broke out in Tenochtitlan, killing mass numbers of the Aztecs. The sickness made it harder for the Aztecs to defend against Spanish attacks.
The Role of Disease

11. Aztecs and Spanish were used to having control and power
Aztecs and Spanish were used to having control and power. They were both Mercantile (Trading) and avaricious [av-uh-rish-uhs](greedy). Aztecs would take part in “flower wars” with neighbors, which happened often to get sacrifices for the gods. The dislike of the Aztecs among neighboring civilizations was key in helping the Cortes and the Spanish take over the Aztecs.
Invasion

12. After Cortes had settled his town on the coast, he was ready to attack the Aztec Empire.
Along the way Cortes encountered other Indigenous people who he would either defeat or befriend.
Spanish Strategy

13. One of the Indigenous groups that Cortes’ forces encountered was the Tabascan. After the defeat of the Tabascan, they gave the Spanish gifts of clothes, food, gold and slaves. One of the slaves was a former noble that was sold into slavery after her father died. Her name was Malinche.
Using an Intermediary

14. Malinche became the link between Cortes and Moctezuma
Malinche became the link between Cortes and Moctezuma. Without her, Cortes would have not been successful. She could speak the language of the Aztecs (Nahuatl) and in a short time learned how to speak Spanish. After she converted to Christianity, she became known as Dona Marina. Marina became Cortes’ advisor and spy.
Malinche

15. Cortes continued his march inland to Tenochtitlan
Cortes continued his march inland to Tenochtitlan. He encountered different groups, and they all responded differently to the Spanish. Cortes had to continually change his strategy.
March to Tenochtitlan

16. This indigenous tribe invited the Spanish to their capital city Zempoala. They told the Spanish about the tribute that the Aztecs collected from them. The Spanish promised them protection from the Aztecs, if they supplied the Spanish with warriors.
The Totonacs

17. The Tlaxcalans (tlahsh-CALL-lahns)
At first the Tlaxcalans fought the Spanish, the Spanish held them off, and offered peace, the Tlaxcalans approved and offered 1000 more soldiers to Cortes.
The Tlaxcalans (tlahsh-CALL-lahns)

18. The Cholulans (choh-LOO-lahns)
This Indigenous group were allies with the Aztecs. Malinche being Cortes’ spy, overheard the Cholulans planning an attack on the Spanish. She told Cortes of the campaign. With this knowledge the Spanish conquered the Cholulans.
The Cholulans (choh-LOO-lahns)

19. There are 2 ways to respond to an approaching force, to be the first to act, or to wait, and see what the other side will do first. That is exactly what Montezuma did. He waited and watched the Spanish forces approach as he decided what actions to take.
Aztec Strategy

20. The Battle of Tenochtitlan
When Cortez arrived in the capital, Moctezuma took the Spanish to live in the palace of his late father. The Aztecs showed them all of the glory of the city. Cortez became overwhelmed with the thought of ruling this great city. The gold that was everywhere enticed him even more. This finally caused Cortes to attack.
The Battle of Tenochtitlan

21. Moctezuma was placed under house arrest in his own palace
Moctezuma was placed under house arrest in his own palace. Gold was looted and melted down. Moctezuma was forced to be a subject of Spanish rule. On the coast of Mexico Spanish troops arrived sent from Velazquez to arrest Cortes. Cortes left a man named Pedro de Alvarado in charge of Tenochtitlan while he went to the coast to deal with Velazquez’s troops.
The Battle

22. Velazquez lost the battle against Cortes’ troops, and Cortes invited them to help defeat the Aztecs.
When he returned Tenochtitlan was in chaos. They brought Moctezuma out to talk with his people, but they threw stones at him. Moctezuma died later either from his injuries, or from being strangled by the Spanish.
The Aztecs attached and drove out the Spanish, killing many.
The Battle

23. Cortes attacked again 6 months later, but when he returned a smallpox epidemic had wiped out 25% of the Aztecs, and weakened many more.
The Spanish cut off the fresh water supply to Tenochtitlan. After an 80 day siege the Aztecs were defeated, with only 60,000 left, their city in ruins. The great Aztec Empire had been destroyed.
The Battle