Transcript The Fall of Tenochtitlan

The Fall of Tenochtitlan
Aztec Civilization
 Descendents
of the Toltecs
 Legend of Huitzilopochtli (their God)
 Promised Land = place where an eagle landed on
a cactus while eating a snake
 Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan (meaning "Place of
the Nopal Cactus")

Tenochtitlan

Mexican Flag
 Huitzilopochtli
= war god
 Human sacrifice of neighboring tribes (rip
out human hearts, cannibalism of brave
warriors)
 Quetzalcoatl = brother of Huitzilopochtli,
was to return (white god)
Cortes
Cortes – (1519) sent to Mexico from
governor of Cuba, search for lost expedition
 Hears of the wealthy land of Moctezuma (Aztec
king) …..changes his mission!
 Sinks ships so men cannot turn back
 Cortes’s supplies:500 soldiers, 16 horses, some
guns
 Hernan
Moctezuma
Hears of Cortes’ arrival
 "Our lord and king, forgive my boldness. When I went to
the shores of the great sea, there was a mountain range or
small mountain floating in the midst of the water, moving
here and there without touching the shore."
 "It is true that strange people have come to the shores of
the great sea. They have very light skin, much lighter than
ours. They all have beards, and their hair is fair and
comes only to their ears."

Other omens: comets, strange weather
 Moctezuma believes Quetzalcoatl (white god) is returning
 Sends gifts – Gold!

Cortes takes Moctezuma prisoner
 Also received help from enemies of Aztecs, Malintzin =
interpreter

 Governor
of Cuba sends officials to stop Cortes,
Cortes marches back to coast and defeats them
 While Cortes is away…..Aztecs rebel, take back
city
 Moctezuma dies (thought to be accidental)
 Outnumbered Spanish take many losses
 Cortes
gathers Indian soldiers (enemies of Aztecs)
 Attacks city with canoes
 Cortes has guns and cannons
 Spanish build a
portable Bridge
 Other Aztec communities fall
 Illnesses (small pox)
Francisco Pizarro
Spanish officer (arrested
Balboa)
 Heard of gold in Andes
Mountains
 1531 lands in Peru,
reaches Inca empire

 Inca
had been weakened by small pox
 Involved in civil war
 Pizarro invites ruler Atahuallpa to dinner and
kidnaps him
 Offer gold and silver as ransom
 Pizarro kills him anyhow
 Joins forces with enemies to conquer empire