🇲🇽History of Aztec Mexico and New Spain Unit 4 – Spanish Conquest of Mexico

Key Players and Background

• Hernán Cortés led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-1521)
• Moctezuma II ruled as the Aztec emperor during the Spanish conquest
  • Believed Cortés might be the god Quetzalcoatl returning based on Aztec prophecies
• The Aztec Empire dominated central Mexico prior to Spanish arrival
  • Capital city Tenochtitlan located on an island in Lake Texcoco
• Spain unified in 1469 after the marriage of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
  • Reconquista ended Islamic rule in Iberia in 1492
• Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492 seeking a western route to Asia
  • Began the era of Spanish colonization in the Americas

Motives for Conquest

• Desire for wealth and resources drove Spanish conquest
  • Believed the Americas contained vast amounts of gold and silver
• Religious zeal motivated the spread of Christianity to indigenous peoples
  • Saw conquest as a means to convert "pagans" to Catholicism
• The encomienda system incentivized conquest by granting Spanish conquistadors control over indigenous labor and tribute
• Rivalry among conquistadors fueled expeditions to claim new territories for personal glory and wealth
• The Spanish Crown sought to expand its empire and establish control over new lands and subjects
• Technological advantages (steel weapons, horses, guns) encouraged Spanish confidence in their ability to conquer

Initial Contact and Alliances

• Cortés landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519 with around 500 men
• Malintzin (Malinche) served as a translator and advisor to Cortés
  • Facilitated communication and negotiations with indigenous groups
• Cortés formed an alliance with the Tlaxcalans, enemies of the Aztecs
  • Provided a large fighting force to support the Spanish
• The Totonacs also allied with the Spanish against Aztec domination
• Moctezuma II sent gifts to Cortés, including gold, hoping to appease him and prevent an attack on Tenochtitlan
• Cortés scuttled his ships to prevent his men from returning to Cuba, committing them to the conquest

Conquest Strategies and Battles

• Cortés employed a strategy of divide and conquer, exploiting tensions among indigenous groups
• The massacre at Cholula, where the Spanish killed thousands, served to intimidate potential enemies
• Moctezuma II welcomed Cortés into Tenochtitlan, where the Spanish took him hostage
  • Used Moctezuma to control the city and demand gold
• The Noche Triste (Night of Sorrows) saw the Spanish forced to flee Tenochtitlan after a revolt
  • Moctezuma II died during the fighting
• Smallpox and other European diseases devastated the Aztec population
  • Weakened their ability to resist the Spanish
• The Spanish formed a coalition of indigenous allies to lay siege to Tenochtitlan

Fall of Tenochtitlan

• The Spanish and their indigenous allies besieged Tenochtitlan for several months in 1521
  • Cut off the city's water supply and food sources
• Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, led the defense of the city
• The Spanish constructed warships (brigantines) to control Lake Texcoco and prevent supplies from reaching Tenochtitlan
• Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish on August 13, 1521, after a prolonged and brutal siege
  • Much of the city was destroyed during the conquest
• Cuauhtémoc was captured and later executed by the Spanish
• The fall of Tenochtitlan marked the end of the Aztec Empire and the beginning of Spanish colonial rule in Mexico

Aftermath and Early Colonial Period

• The Spanish established the Viceroyalty of New Spain to govern their new territories
  • Mexico City built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan
• The encomienda system granted Spanish conquistadors control over indigenous labor and tribute
  • Led to exploitation and abuse of indigenous populations
• The Catholic Church played a significant role in the colonization process
  • Missionaries worked to convert indigenous people to Christianity
• Indigenous people faced forced labor, taxation, and cultural suppression under Spanish rule
• The Spanish introduced new crops (wheat, sugar), livestock (cattle, sheep), and technologies to the Americas
• The colonial economy focused on resource extraction (silver mining) and agricultural production for export

Cultural and Social Impact

• The conquest led to a dramatic population decline among indigenous peoples due to disease, warfare, and exploitation
• The Spanish imposed a racial hierarchy (casta system) based on ancestry
  • Peninsulares (Spanish-born) at the top, followed by criollos (American-born Spanish), mestizos (mixed ancestry), and indigenous peoples
• Mestizaje, the mixing of Spanish and indigenous populations, created a new cultural identity
• The Spanish language and Catholic religion became dominant, but indigenous influences persisted
  • Syncretism blended Catholic and indigenous religious practices
• Indigenous knowledge and artistic traditions (codices, architecture) were largely destroyed or suppressed
• The conquest disrupted traditional social structures, gender roles, and family life among indigenous communities

Legacy and Historical Debates

• The conquest of Mexico had far-reaching consequences for the Americas and the world
  • Marked the beginning of Spanish colonialism and the global exchange of goods, ideas, and people (Columbian Exchange)
• Debates continue over the nature of the conquest and its impact
  • Some view it as a "civilizing mission" that brought progress, while others emphasize the destruction and exploitation of indigenous peoples
• The role of indigenous allies in the conquest complicates narratives of Spanish superiority
• The conquest has been reinterpreted through the lens of indigenous resistance and survival
  • Efforts to reclaim and celebrate indigenous identities and histories
• The legacy of the conquest continues to shape modern Mexico and Latin America
  • Issues of identity, inequality, and cultural heritage rooted in the colonial experience