Transcript A DEADLY MEETING

A DEADLY MEETING
•Cortes the Conquistador
•An unequal fight
•Invasion
•Fall of the Aztecs
Cortes, the Conquistador
• Hernan Cortes was an adventurous and
ambitious young man
• He had heard about the gold brought back by
Columbus
• At age 19 he sailed for the “new world’
• Cortes arrived on the island of Hispaniola,
present day Dominican Republic and Haiti in
1504
• He was asked to join an expedition to conquer
Cuba
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPj4swVZZZM
Cortes, the Conquistador
• The Conquistadors used a formula for
their territorial conquests
1. An expedition would set out from a recent colony
2. After landing in a new region, the Spanish would
try to meet peacefully with the first groups of
Indigenous peoples they encountered. Their true
aim was to discover which group in the area was
most powerful
3. The Spanish would invite the leader of the
powerful group to a meeting to exchange gifts.
The Spanish would then seize the leader and
threaten to kill him unless his followers obeyed
their orders
Cortes, the Conquistador
• The Conquistadors used a formula for
their territorial conquests
4. If they did have to fight, the Spanish would try
and do so on open ground. Their horses, armour
and weapons would provide a huge advantage
5. The leader of the expedition would remain as
governor of the new colony and his second in
command would organize the next expedition.
The indigenous people would be forced into
slavery
Cortes, the Conquistador
• After the conquest of Cuba, Cortes remained
there as second in command to Governor
Velasquez
• After eight years, Cortes got Velazquez to
finance an expedition to the Yucatan
• Within a few months Cortez had amassed 11
ships, 508 fighting men, 100 sailors, 200
indigenous slaves and 16 horses
• At the last minute Velazquez tried to cancel
the expedition fearing Cortez would get all the
glory for his discoveries
Cortes, the Conquistador
• Cortes established a town on the coast of
Mexico La Villa Rica de la Veracruz and
declared an independent government
• This meant he was now responsible to King
Carlos I rather than Velazquez
• He sent one ship to Spain with all the treasure
he had collected so far and sank the other ten
• This made it impossible for any soldiers loyal
to Velazquez to defect
AN UNEQUAL FIGHT
AZTEC WEAPON
SPANISH WEAPON
War club
Sword
•A war club could cut like a knife, but would
shatter against the Spanish armour
•The steel swords were double edged, needle
pointed and sharp as a razor
•It was designed for swinging and chopping,
but was so heavy a soldier had to use both
hands to swing it
•With this metre long weapon in his hand, a
fighter could slash and stab at the enemy with
deadly effect. His other hand was free to carry
a shield or hold the reins of a horse
Wooden Spear
Halberd
•The spear ends were sharpened wood that
had been hardened by fire
•A halberd was over two meters long and had
a spear blade, an axe point and a hook
•The Aztecs would try to get close to the
enemy and thrust the spears at unprotected
areas like the throat or eyes
Atlatl (spearthrower)
Crossbow
•An atlatl was a apiece of jointed wood that
allowed an Aztec soldier to throw a short
spear a great distance, with much more force
than using his arm
•A crossbow could shoot a wooden arrow with
such force that it could penetrate even the
thickest armour
•Aztecs also used bow and arrows, and slings
AZTEC WEAPONS
SPANISH WEAPONS
AN UNEQUAL FIGHT
• The Spanish weapons took the Aztecs
completely by surprise
• Muskets, long rifle like guns fired from the
shoulder, and cannons while common in
Europe were unknown to the Aztecs
• When they first encountered the sound of
these new weapons, the Aztecs thought it was
thunder and lightning
• Moctezuma sent ambassadors to the Spanish
camp, Cortez ordered his men to fire their
weapons before the ambassadors left
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhKCSNraTGw
ANOTHER NEW WEAPON
• An additional military advantage held by the
Spanish was the horse
• Horses had never been seen by the Aztecs
• Their size, power and speed fascinated the
Aztecs
• The Spanish were skilled enough to rein the
horse using single hand with the other using a
weapon
• The Aztecs on foot could not compete
THE ROLE OF DISEASE
• In the quest for control
of the Aztec empire,
small pox broke out in
Tenochtitlan
• European explores and
traders also brought the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
measles and other
=KYmUqpQt6SA
diseases to North
America
An epidemic is a
disease that spreads • The indigenous tribes
rapidly and affects
had no immunity to
many individuals at
these diseases
the same time
INVASION
• Author Roland Wright wrote, “the Aztecs and
the Spaniards had much in common. Both
were warlike, mercantile, avaricious, and
quick to resort to force. Both believed they
had a divine mission to rule the world”
• After establishing his coastal colony, Cortes
decided that is was time to march to the heart
of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan
• Cortez soon realized we would need to
befriend or conquer the indigenous tribes he
encountered on the journey
INVASION
• After defeating a group called the
Tabscans, Cortez was given many gifts
including a slave named Malinche
• Born into a noble family, but sold into
slavery after the death of her father,
Malinche could speak both Mayan and
Nahuatl
• Within a short time she had also learned
Spanish
• She converted to Christianity and was then
known as Dona Marina
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP
212BrdBlE
THE MARCH TO TENOCHTITLAN
• Cortez continued towards his goal of Tenochtitlan.
Each group reacted in different ways forcing Cortez to
adapt
– The Totanacs invited Cortez to Zempoala, and complained
about the tribute demanded by the Aztecs. Cortez promised
protection in exchange for warriors
– The Tlaxcalans fought the Spanish, but the Spanish held
them off and offered to make peace. The Tlaxcalans agreed,
and added 1000 of their own soldiers to the Spanish forces
– The Cholulans were loyal allies of the Aztecs. Malinche over
heard a conspiracy to attack the Spanish and she alerted
Cortez. As a result the Spanish conquered the Cholulan
people
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nS6MpVbB_g&safe=activ
e
THE BATTLE FOR
TENOCHTITLAN
• Cortez and his forces were taken to live in the
palace of Moctezuma’s late father
• Blinded by their desire for gold, the Spanish placed
Moctezuma under house arrest in his palace
• They looted gold from royal palaces and melted it
down.
• More Spanish troops arrived on the coast, they had
been sent by Governor Velazquez to arrest Cortez
• Cortez left to deal with this threat
• Pedro de Alvarado was left in charge of
Tenochtitilan
• He gave permission for the Aztecs to host a festival
but then ordered his troops to massacre the
dancers
THE BATTLE FOR
TENOCHTITLAN
• Cortez defeated the forces sent by
Velaquez and convinced them to join his
forces to fight the Aztecs
• Tenochtitlan was in chaos when Cortez
returned, in an effort to clam the masses
Moctezuma was asked to speak to the
people to clam them down
• Stones were thrown at the Emperor and he
subsequently died as a result of those
injuries or murder by the Spanish
• The Aztecs attacked the Spanish and their
allies, driving them out of Tenochtitlan,
while killing many of their adversaries
THE BATTLE FOR
TENOCHTITLAN
• Cortez returned and attacked Tenochtitlan with a
stronger force about six months later
• At this time about 25% of the Aztec population had
been killed by smallpox
• The Spanish cut the aqueducts to the city and after a
siege of about 80 days the Aztecs were defeated
• The Spanish tore down the city as they captured it
• Only 60,000 Aztecs survived in the city
• The foundations for a Spanish colony in the
Americas grew from the ashes of Tenochtitlan
THE LAST DAYS OF THE
AZTECS
In the roads lie broken spears...
Without roofs are the houses.
And red are their walls with blood. Maggots swarm in the streets
and squares...
The waters have turned crimson, as if they were dyed...
In shields was our defence.
But shields could not hold back the desolation.
We have eaten... Lumps of the abode,
Lizards and rats,
Soil turned to dust even the worms.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-uwYYd5WnY&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8niQ1ZAbw
U&safe=active