1. Hernando Cortes

2. Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar

3. Santo Domingo (aka Dominican Republic)

4. Interpret What kind of man is Velaquez? How do you know?

5. Cuba

6. Sailing from Cuba… …to Mexico

7. Thinking Back… In past cultures we have studied, what happened when Europeans travel to “discover” or explore a “new” place? What is the interaction like between the native people and the European settlers?

8. February of 1519

9. Present-day Cozumel Island, Mexico

10. Potonchan (present-day Tabasco)

11. Veracruz

12. Aztec Empire

13. Aztecs greet Spanish

14. Cortes sunk his ships

15. Thinking Ahead What do you think Cortes is going to do? What is his plan?

16. Old Map

17. Cortes 1519-1521

18. Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital

19. Moctezuma II

20. Inferring? What do Moctezuma’s actions say about his values?

21. Cortes takes Moctezuma II captive

22. You are Cortes You have the capital city of the Aztec Empire under control and have taken their leader captive. The Aztecs are unhappy with you and now a fleet of the Spanish army is sailing to arrest you. What is your plan?

23. Cortes attacks Spanish

24. You are the Aztecs These strangers have come into your city. Your leader gave them your gold and other precious gifts, and these strangers took your leader hostage. Now, the leader of the Spaniards, Cortes, and 300 of his best soldiers have gone to battle the Spanish army at the shore 200 miles away, but left the rest of his army in your city. You are angry with your leader for letting them in and angry with the Spanish for trying to take over your empire. What is your plan?

25. Aztecs attack Spaniards

26. Cortes attacks

27. Follow-up Questions Based on the story, what was the Aztec Empire like before the Spanish arrived?

28. Follow-up Questions If Cortes and the Spaniards never entered Mexico, how might Mexico be different today?