Hernan cortes and montezuma

Hernan cortes, spanish conquistador who overthrew the aztec empire 151921 and won mexico for the crown of spain. When he first encountered cortes, aztec ruler montezuma ii thought he was a god. Moctezuma meets cortes nov 8, 1519 on november 8, 1519, aztec emperor moctezuma and spanish conquistador hernan cortes met for the first time outside the aztec capital city of tenochtitlan. In 1519, hernan cortes entered mexico with an army of about 600 soldiers. Hernan cortes was a spanish conquistador who explored central america, overthrew montezuma and his vast aztec empire and won mexico.

Find a detailed account of how spanish captain hernan cortes conquered the aztec capital of tenochtitlan and earned his fearsome reputation. Montezuma thought cortes was a god and he feared him. Cortes could not restore order, and the spanish were starving, as the market had closed. The despatches of hernando cortes, the conqueror of mexico, addressed to the emperor charles v. But while cortes was hardheaded and viewed things as they were, moctezuma believed in magic and superstition.

He arrived in the great aztec capital of tenochtitlan in 1519, said cosme. Hernan cortes, king montezuma, and the last stand of the aztec is the riveting and vivid account of cortes and his brutal conquest of the aztec empire in 1519 1521. Taking the position of tlatoani, meaning speaker, in 1502 ce he would rule as an absolute monarch until 1520 ce, during which time he. In 1519, the spanish conquistador hernan cortes arrived on the outskirts of tenochtitlan, the capital of the mighty aztec empire. Hernan cortes was a spanish conquistador who explored central america, overthrew montezuma and his vast aztec empire and won mexico for the crown of spain. The spaniards and their allies flee tenochtitlan on. Montezumas zoo in tenochtitlan was an aztec paradise filled with amazing animals, beautiful plantsand even humans. It has been said that to the aztec emperor, montezuma ii, cortes and. Thousands of pounds of gold, jewels, artwork, and silver were stolen along with the way. Less than a week later, he seizes the aztec ruler and takes control of the city. Hernan cortes was a spanish conquistador, or conqueror, best remembered for conquering the aztec empire in 1521 and claiming mexico for. He studied at the university of salamanca, took part in spains conquest, in 1506, of hispaniola and cuba, and rose to become a municipal official in cuba. In the early sixteenth century a force of hundreds overcame an empire of millions.

Emperor moctezuma ruled the aztec when cortes first arrived in. A 17th century ce oil painting depicting the meeting of spanish conquistador hernan cortes and aztec ruler montezuma motecuhzoma ii in. Coincedentally, cortes fulfilled all of these conditions so montezuma though he was qutzalcoatl. Cortes faces montezuma on the great causeway leading to tenochtitlan. But how does this compare to what the historical record tells us. He initially studied law but left university to make his fortune in the americas. The conquistadors is a fourpart series airing on pbs in spring 2001.

His parents wanted him to become a lawyer and sent him to school to study law when he was fourteen. Theory 1 montezuma ii believes that cortes is a god there was an aztec prophesy that stated that the god, quetzalcoatl would arrive at the year 1519, the exact year that hernan cortes arrived at tenochtitlan. Hernan cortes the explorer conquistador the man, the. Hernan cortes, king montezuma, and the last stand of the aztec is the riveting and vivid account of cortes and his brutal conquest of the aztec. The spanish claimed montezuma died at the hands of his own people. Cortes takes over the aztec empire with montezuma dead, cortes took over the aztecs capital city. He became an important conquistador, one of the men who conquered a vast american empire for the king of spain in the 16th century. Cortes meets montezuma cortes letters 8th november 1519. It is set in a world in which a biological weapon has nearly destroyed the planet, leading scientists and government officials working to save the human race by placing unborn children in the care of artificially intelligent mother robots. Aztec accounts of the event, compiled by miguel leonportillo shortly after and published as the broken spears, claim that moctezuma also montezuma.

Cortes kills montezuma when montezuma couldnt get the aztecs to accept cortes as their leader, cortes had montezuma killed. Upon meeting, hernan cortes claimed to be the representative of the queen, dona juana of castile, and her son, king. Spanish conquistadors and the stolen treasure of montezuma. British museum unmasks who really killed aztec leader this article is more than 11 years old. Cortes develops the land cortes worked to develop farms throughout new. He welcomed the spanish in tenochtitlan and even let them stay in one of his palaces. Montezuma, or more correctly, motecuhzoma ii xocoyotzin aka moctezuma or angry like a lord was the last fully independent ruler of the aztec empire before the civilizations collapse at the hands of the spanish in the early 16th century ce. Hernan cortes was a spanish explorer and soldier who was born in 1485. The spaniards called this new area they had claimed new spain. Moctezuma meets cortes nov 8, 1519 project history teacher. The personalities of moctezuma and cortes must be considered. He came from a fairly famous family and his father was a captain in the spanish army. In this lesson, students read from two 16th century sources and one contemporary historian.

Hij moest daarbij zelfs zijn volledige artillerie achterlaten. Spanish leader hernan cortes, an obscure career soldier from the castilian badlands, and montezuma, the ruler of the aztec triple alliance. Cortes had heard of the aztecs and knew that they, and their leader montezuma ii, were a primary force in mexico. Montezuma became cortes s prisoner in tenochtitlan. The empire came to dominate central mexico and by the ascendance of montezuma ii in 1502 had reached its greatest extent, extending as far south as perhaps. The relationship between montezuma ii and hernan cortes. Cortes ordered montezuma to reopen the market, but the emperor said that he could not because he was a captive and no one listened to his orders anymore. It was also a sacred year when a bearded aztec god called ketsalquatal would return on a ship from the east and rule the land of the aztecs. If montezuma thought of hernan cortes as quetzalcoatl then he would have treated him with an exceptional amount of respect and fear. The spaniards and their allies flee tenochtitlan on the night of tears.

Montezuma, king of the aztecs, ruled over 15 million people when cortes arrived with a few hundred spanish soldiers and cuban porters. Montezuma ii, ninth aztec emperor of mexico, famous for his dramatic confrontation with the spanish conquistador hernan cortes. This is the story of one of the most momentous events of the spanish conqu. The aztec calendar didnt allow montezuma to go to war or even plan one. After a threemonth siege, spanish forces under hernan cortes capture. Hernan cortes conquers the aztec empire national geographic. When montezuma couldnt get the aztecs to accept cortes as their leader, cortes had montezuma. On november 8, 1519, the spanish conquistador hernando cortes first met montezuma, the aztec emperor, at the entrance to the capital city of tenochtitlan. In three short years, the capital city of tenochitilan was destroyed, and emperor montezuma ii was dead. Montezuma, thinking cortes and his men were envoys from the god quetzalcoatl who was prophesied to return that year in the aztec calendar, treated him as an honored guest.