Ch. 9Spain & Aztec

Collide

15th century: SPAIN• claimed the Canary Islands and Christopher

Columbus had landed on islands in the Caribbean

• The Spanish were:establishing a large empire to compete with Portugalbuilding national unityincreasing its colonies and gaining wealth from the

new landsconverting non-Christians in other lands to Catholics

15th century: Aztec• conquered most of Meso-America and

created a unified civilization. • The Aztecs were:

expanding the empire for the glory of their God, Huitzilopochtli

receiving payments of generous tribute & taxes

profiting from trade throughout the empire

taking captives to be sacrificed

What did the Aztec think of the Spanish

before they met• Described their ships as floating towers• Men with light skin, long beards and

hair that came only till their ears (GodsGods)

• Aztec had experienced omens that warned of a disaster (8 omens8 omens)

• Belief that Queztcoatl was returning

What did the Spanish know about the Aztec

• Hernan Cortez knew he could not defeat the Aztec army on his own

WHY? He only had 500 men• He would have to use political rivalries to his advantage

WHY? Many city-states did not like being controlled by the Aztecs and wanted independence

• SO…for 8 months, he gathered many allies by using fear (killing nobility), force (using the firepower of weapons like muskets and canons), or trickery

Spanish: Information &

Communication• Cortez had 2 valuable interpreters– La Malinche (Dona MarinaDona Marina)– Spanish sailor (Geronimo de AguilarGeronimo de Aguilar)

• To Communicate:

CortezCortez AguilarAguilar Dona MarinaDona Marina AztecAztec

REVIEW• What were the 8 omens that the Aztecs

experienced prior to the arrival of Spanish?

• Mocetzuma thought Cortez was the God _____________

• Why did the Aztec think the Spanish were Gods?

• How did Cortez communicate with the Meso-Americans?

Aztec & Spanish Meet• Mocetzuma send gifts to Cortez because he hoped

that it would convince Cortez to leaveWHY? Whoever offered the richest gift was the WHY? Whoever offered the richest gift was the

most powerfulmost powerful• Moctezuma sent Cortes the clothing of the god

Quetzalcoatl, which Cortes put onSO? The Aztec believed that Cortes was the SO? The Aztec believed that Cortes was the

returning Godreturning God• Mocetzuma sent Cortes food containing human

blood because a God would eat the food , but Cortes refusedWHY? Cortes thought it was poisonedWHY? Cortes thought it was poisoned

•

Spanish Allies• TlaxcalansTlaxcalans were enemies with Aztecs• never been conquered by the Aztec• Because their attack on the Spanish failed,

they made an alliance with Cortes to defeat the Aztec

• Moctezuma told Cortes to travel to Cholula Cholula where he planned to ambush them. • But Cortes & the Tlaxcalans attacked them

first and caused heavy loss• So , the Cholulas agreed to join with Cortes to

regain independence from the Aztec

The Spanish Arrive• Mocetzuma addressed Cortes as though he was a

God

• Moctezuma treated Cortes and his men royally prepared a palace; gave them tours of the city

• One week later, Cortes took Moctezuma hostage Cortes replaced all the idols in the palace &

temple with Catholic saints

Massacre of the Unarmed Aztecs

• After 6 months of being in Tenochtitlan, Cortes left to deal with the Cortes left to deal with the governor of Cuba. He left governor of Cuba. He left Pedro de Alvardo Pedro de Alvardo in charge of Tenochtitlan

• At the annual feast of Huitzilopochtli, Alvardo and his men surrounded and massacred the unarmed worshippersincluding nobles & priests

• Aztecs were angry and fought back against the Spanish. They trapped the Spanish in Cortes’ palace away from the center of the city

• When Cortes returned, he ordered Moctezuma Moctezuma to speak to the Aztec to allow the Spanish to return• The Aztecs mocked & hurled stones at MoctezumaMoctezuma• He was seriously injured and died a few days later• CuitlahuacCuitlahuac was elected as the new huey tlatoani

What lead to the downfall of the great Moctezuma?

• Could not decide if Cortes was a god or an enemy

• Did not understand the Spanish motives or Cortes’ ruthlessness

• Could not deal effectively with the Spanish – kept trying to deal with Cortes in a gracious manner

Noche Triste• June 1520: Spanish try to leave the

city in the middle of the night– Aztec surround them on the

causeways, attacking them from all sides

– Spanish were carrying stolen gold and could not move quickly, so many were killed or drowned

Death toll: approx 700 Spanish & Death toll: approx 700 Spanish & 2000-3000 Tlaxcalans2000-3000 Tlaxcalans

GET GET OUTOUT

Run Run away away NowNow

The unforeseen enemy: SMALLPOX

• Aztec began to die from the smallpox HOW? Brought over by the Europeans who had immunity to this diseaseBUT…the Aztecs had never been exposed to this virus, so their body had no resistance

• In 5 months, approx. half the city population may have died due to this epidemic•Cuitlauac died from smallpox (reign lasted only 80 days)•CuauhtemocCuauhtemoc was elected huey tlatoni

REVIEW• What were the items Mocetzuma sent Cortes as

gifts?

• With whom did the Spanish form alliances?

• How did Mocetzuma die?

• Who was elected as the new huey tlatoni?

• Why was the Noche Triste so sorrowful?

• What led to the death of many Aztec?

The Final Battle• After the Noche Triste, Cortes and his men retreated to

Tlaxcala for 5 months to recover• Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan with the Tlaxcalans and

warriors from Texcoco (used to part of the Triple Alliance, but switched sides due to the strength of the Spanish)

• Aztec has no allies to support them and half the population had died from smallpox but they managed to hold off the Spanish for 75 days

• Cortes cut off all the water & food supplies from reaching the city

• SO…people died from hunger & contaminated water

• Aug 13 1521: Aztec surrender• Cuauhtemoc was hanged

The Final Battle• Spanish destroyed the once glorious city of Tenochtitlan• Tore down pyramids, temples and palace

– used the stones to build new palaces & cathedrals

• Set houses on fire & filled the causeways with rubble & stone

• 1522: Cortes became the first governor & captain-general of New Spain

New Spain: Slaves– Conquistadors were given tracts of land (Haciendas) as a reward

» Aztec were forced to work as slaves/labourers– 1512: King Ferdinand established laws that called for fair treatment of “Indians”

» Indians could not be used to carry goods on their backs» Children under 14 & pregnant women were not to do

heavy work in the mine» Spanish masters were prohibited from beating, whipping

or calling them dogs– The Spanish attempted to wipe the Aztec culture

» Destroyed their religion, art & science» Burned/Smashed the codices, sculptures & records» Built the Spanish city of Mexico over Tenochtitlan

– Continued the tribute system to gain wealth from other city-states

New Spain: ConversionConversion• Many of the indigenous people adopted the

Christian God as one of their many gods

• Over times, most of the citizens of New Spain became devout Roman Catholics

• Franciscan & Dominican priests worked closely with the Aztec survivors

– Converted the noble class first, so the common people would follow their example

– Established schools & hospitals

– Made sure each village had its own priest & church

New Spain: Adapting to a New Society

• Surviving Aztec nobles learned bookkeeping & business practices and became merchants– Brought goods from Spain & sold

them in Aztec colonies

• Learned to speak and write Spanish– Allowed them to document Aztec

history & traditions as well as their lives under Spanish rule

• Mestizos: Children of Spanish & Aztec descent

Why Did Moctezuma & Cortes Make the Decisions they did

Factor Aztec Spanish

Religion  

•   Believed that the only Believed that the only way to salvation was the way to salvation was the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church• Was their duty to spread Was their duty to spread

Christianity & convert Christianity & convert non-believersnon-believers• Appalled/disgusted by the Appalled/disgusted by the

practice of human practice of human sacrificesacrifice

• Thought that Cortes Thought that Cortes was the returning God was the returning God QuetzacoatlQuetzacoatl

• Omens created a sense Omens created a sense that bad luck was that bad luck was comingcoming

• Mocetzuma did not Mocetzuma did not want to show want to show disrespect – so he disrespect – so he welcomed Cortes & his welcomed Cortes & his men into the heart of men into the heart of the citythe city

Why Did Moctezuma & Cortes Make the Decisions they did

Factor Aztec Spanish

Worldview

• Did not understand Did not understand the Spanish the Spanish worldviewworldview

• Aztecs had only Aztecs had only conquered societies conquered societies that had a similar that had a similar worldviewsworldviews

• Aztecs believed that Aztecs believed that had to be gracious – had to be gracious – they welcomed the they welcomed the Spanish and tried to Spanish and tried to negotiate with themnegotiate with them

 

• God, Glory, GoldGod, Glory, Gold• Wanted to claim the Wanted to claim the

gold, jewels & gold, jewels & wealth from the wealth from the Aztec civilizationAztec civilization

Why Did Moctezuma & Cortes Make the Decisions they did

Factor Aztec Spanish

Warfare

Tactics:Tactics: negotiating first, then negotiating first, then war (war (with specific ruleswith specific rules))Wounds: injure enemy Wounds: injure enemy warriors, not to be life warriors, not to be life threateningthreateningWarriors: Warriors: to be captured alive to be captured alive for sacrificefor sacrificeCivilians: Civilians: to be captured alive to be captured alive to be used as slavesto be used as slavesProperty: Property: not to be destroyed not to be destroyed in order to receive tributein order to receive tributeKilling: Killing: shows disrespect for shows disrespect for human life – human life should human life – human life should only be sacrificed to the Godsonly be sacrificed to the GodsSpanishSpanish

Tactics:Tactics: Use existing Use existing political rivalries to their political rivalries to their advantageadvantage- Planned surprise attacks - Planned surprise attacks to ensure victoryto ensure victoryWarriors:Warriors: kill as many as kill as many as possible to defeat thempossible to defeat themProperty: Property: destroy & look destroy & look so that the survivors so that the survivors would be at their mercywould be at their mercyKilling:Killing: Necessary to Necessary to ensure victory & ensure victory & dominancedominance