What did Cortes do with the Aztecs?

Cortés razed Tenochtitlan, building his own capital over its ruins, and proclaimed the Aztec Empire to be New Spain. Soon after the Spanish colonization of Cuba in 1519, a small army led by Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) conquered Mexico from the Aztecs. Cortés first attacked and then made allies of towns.

What was the relationship between Cortes and the Aztecs?

Engraving by W. Holl, 1837. ) Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador, or conqueror, best remembered for conquering the Aztec empire in 1521 and claiming Mexico for Spain. He also helped colonize Cuba and became a governor of New Spain.

What did Cortes do to the Aztecs and their land?

Cortés Defeats The Aztecs He used deadly force to conquer Mexico, fighting Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors before turning his attention on the ultimate prize: taking over the Aztec Empire. He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home to ruler Montezuma II, on November 8, 1519.

What did Cortes do with his slaves?

“Cortés, conqueror of Mexico, may have had more unfree Indians than anyone else in the world. In addition to owning three thousand or more indigenous slaves outright, his estate forced as many as twenty-four thousand laborers a year to work as tribute (they were sent by their home villages for a week at a time).”

Why did the Aztecs lose to the Spanish?

The overthrow of the Aztec Empire by Cortez and his expedition rests on three factors: The fragility of that empire, the tactical advantages of Spanish technology, and smallpox.

What were 3 major reasons for the fall of the Aztec Empire?

The four major factors that were obvious to the downfall of the Aztecs was the bloody sacrifices, religion, diseases, and the Spanish tactics used against the Aztecs.…

Who is God according to Cortés?

god Quetzalcoatl
History tells us that Malinalli, like other natives, thought that Cortés was actually their god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent who, according to prophecies, was meant to come back to free the Mexicas from Huitzilopochtli, god of war.

How did Cortés treat the natives?

He fought and conquered the local natives. Here and elsewhere, he forced the Indians to convert to Christianity. If they refused, they were killed. The natives were astonished at the Spaniards for more than their powerful army.

Was Cortés a hero or villain?

Interpretation 1: Cortes was a villain. He was a vicious gangster who crushed the noble Aztec civilisation.

Is Hernán Cortés a good or bad person?

Cortes was a ruthless leader whose ambition was matched only by his conviction that he could bring the Indigenous peoples of Mexico to the Kingdom of Spain and Christianity, and make himself fabulously wealthy in the process. As a controversial historical figure, there are many myths about Hernan Cortes.

How did the Spanish treat the Aztecs?

They introduced the Aztecs to domestic animals, sugar, grains, and European farming practices. Most significantly, the Spanish ended the Aztec’s practice of human sacrifice. The Aztecs sacrificed human victims on each of their 18 annual festivities, according to the New World Encyclopedia.

Why did the Spanish beat the Aztecs?

Cortes wanted to conquer the aztecs for gold glory and god. Because of these things, many people in the Aztec Empire were unhappy. Some of them helped the Spanish conquistadors take over the Empire.

Why did the Spanish fight the Aztecs?

The conquered peoples resented the Aztec demands for tribute and victims for the religious sacrifices, but the Aztec military kept rebellion at bay. Meanwhile, Hernán Cortés, a young Spanish-born noble, came to Hispaniola in the West Indies in 1504.

Who did the Aztecs think Cortés was?

An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom. Quetzalcoatl, “the feathered serpent,” stood for the solar light, the morning star. He symbolized knowledge, arts, and religion.

What were Hernán Cortés motives?

He wanted to travel and see new lands. He also wanted to make his fortune and fame. Cortes sailed for the New World in 1504.

Is Hernán Cortés a good guy?

Hernan Cortes has a lot of characteristics of a hero. One of his characteristics is that he was a good leader and he did not let anyone down. He was also very smart. He accomplished making Mexico into colonies.

Why is Cortés a hero?

He was a hero in the 16th century, but history remembers him differently. He had many conquests during his life. But he is perhaps most known for his conquer of the Aztec Empire in 1521. He enslaved much of the native population, and many of the indigenous people were wiped out from European diseases such as smallpox.

What is Cortés famous quote?

“I love to travel, but hate to arrive.” “He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest.” “Better to die with honor than live dishonored.”