KaranUppal

IBHistoryofAmericas
Mr.DuttonP5
September11th,2016

Cortes and the conquest of the Aztecs

When Hernan Cortes headed to the Americas, he landed on the shores of the Yucatan
peninsula. From there, he traveled to Tabasco, Mexico in 1519, this encounter soon led to permanent
and sustained contact between the Eastern and Western Hemisphere in this region. Hernan Cortes
was solely focused on conquering the Americas, so he burned his ships so none of his troops would
return to Europe. Because of this, his army was entirely under his control. After this, Hernan Cortes
developed a plan to take the local Mayans over; it also, led to him find his wife and child. Hernan
Cortes then planned to travel north to conquer the Aztecs but he was in need of a translator because
the Spaniards and the Aztecs could not communicate with each other. Hernan Cortes had a Mayan
to Spanish translator ,but the primary language of the Aztecs was Nahuatl; being in this
predicament had made shaky grounds, much more difficult. Consequently, Hernan Cortes future
wife ,Dona Marina, was part of the Mayan civilization that he conquered in the Yucatan
peninsula. Dona Marina had learned Maya link of communication because she was a slave in the
Mexican coast. Thereafter, she was sent to a family near the Yucatan peninsula, which coincidently
gave her the ability to help Hernan Cortes and his small army, to communicate from Spanish to
Mayan and from Mayan to Nahuatl. Soon the connection between Hernan Cortes and Dona
Marina became strong in Mexico and as Hernan Cortes led his few men into Tenochtitlan, the
Heart of the Aztec Empire.
At first sight the Aztecs were astonished at what saw and wondered why these menacing
human beings made of shiny clothes and alien looking horses came before them. This is where Dona
Marina became vital to Hernan Cortes, she was a master at diplomatic and negotiating skills in
which helped Hernan Cortes in many situations before, as in one instance she overheard the plans of
a local native tribe who had tried to ambush the small band of Spaniards. She was then prompted to
tell Hernan Cortes who quickly took swift action and eliminated the threat. As they approached
Tenochtitlan, Hernan Cortes and his men safely played themselves into a game of poker where
Cortes led his army of 450 men into the city and acted as if they were the gods, of whom the Aztecs
so willing believed because according to their texts, one day a god would meet them through a divine
force of whom would be white-skinned as told in their prophecy, which they thought to be the
Conquistadors. Hernan Cortes took initiative of the situation and quickly planned, within days, to
captured Moctezuma II and seize the city. His planned was executed perfectly ,until they were
forced out of the city due to lack of men and the fear of being ambushed. Moctezuma was killed at
this point leaving the Aztecs under political Anarchy ,which offered Hernan Cortes to then built a
small fleet of ships where he surrounded the city solely because the city was built on a lake and
would cut off all supply lines. This occurrence, forced the Aztecs to surrender due to lack of supply.

Although the Conquistadors were highly out numbered they displayed strategic ability and
use of advanced technology to suppress the Aztec Empire with their steel swords, muskets, cannons,
and horses, which definitely accounted for the advantages the Spaniards had. Although, Dona
Marinas diplomatic manipulation played a key role in the process of coming in the massive city,
local natives also helped provide support in securing the victory. Likewise, the Aztecs offered naive
like character where they were tricked into a blunder of mistakes and soon a permanent collapse of a
dynasty. The Aztecs described the Conquistadors as people of unknown worldly creation and when
Moctezuma II, Aztec leader, heard news of them he was astounded and frightened by how they came
and displayed such authority. Some six hundred veteran soldiers were lost in battle, thousands
surrendered inside the city and the remaining Aztecs fell due to famine and disease. smallpox was
one of primary causes of death in the Aztec Empire because of antigens brought from Europe. This
killed tens of thousands of inhabitants and made maintenance of slavery difficult for future use. As
a result, the Spaniards transformed their colonial regime in the Americas and exemplified wit
through the use of their resources and provided expansion of a future investment.