Finley - Empires Colliding: The Aztecs & The Spanish

Empires Colliding

the collapse of the aztecs &the rise of the spanish

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Conquistadors & Calpulli

Both the Spanish and the Aztec Empires were societies rooted in war- the Spanish had just completed their 700-year long Reconquista, or reconquest of Spain from the Muslim Moors, and the Aztecs were in a continuous cycle of expansion to ensure their need for tribute was met (new Aztec emperors were bound to conquest called a coronation war as they could not inherit anything from previous emperors). Both empires thought of warfare in religious terms, and neither had much understanding of the other at the time of their initial encounter.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Doctrine of Discovery

Permission from the Pope to colonize, and well, yeah, other things

The Papal Bull "Inter Caetera," issued by Pope Alexander VI in 1493, played a central role in the Spanish conquest of the New World. The document supported Spain’s strategy to ensure its exclusive right to the lands discovered by Columbus the previous year. It assigned Spain the exclusive right to acquire territorial possessions and to trade in all lands west of that line (meaning the Americas). All others were forbidden to approach the lands west of the line without special license from the rulers of Spain. This effectively gave Spain a monopoly on the lands in the New World.

The Bull stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be "discovered," claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers and declared that "the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself."

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Key Figures

Montezuma II became the tlatoani, or Great Speaker, about 1502. He shook up Aztec society by promoting himself as the living representation of the god Huitzilopochtli and making class divisions in society more severe. He also forced minor nobility from the empire's provinces to work in his palace in Tenochtitlan as a form of hostage taking so that there would be no revolts.

Hernan Cortes was a Spanish Encomendero in the Caribbean who had been born to minor nobility in a rough part of Spain called Extremadura. In 1504 he sailed to the Caribbean with a relative who was to be a royal governor. He took part in the Spanish conquest of Cuba and became the alcalde of Cuba's capital of Santiago, but two expeditions to mainland Mesoamerica had happened before him.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Allies

Both sides had native tribes that were allies:

• The Tlaxcalans were sworn enemies of the Mexica, and quickly allied themselves with Cortes; over time, the Spanish would gain more allies as other tribes sensed Aztec weakness.
• The core of the Aztec empire was a triple alliance between the cities of Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan, and Texcoco in the central valley of Mexico; the Mexica had many tribute states, such as Cholula that they could call upon to fight.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Overcoming the Communication Barrier

Bernal Diaz, excerpt from his True History of the Conquest of New Spain, 1567"Dona Marina (also known as La Malinche) knew the language of Coatzalcoalcos, which is that common of Mexico (the language called Nahuatl), and she knew the language of Tabasco (a language from the Yucatan Peninsula where Cortes first landed), as did Jeronimo de Aguilar, who also spoke the language of Tabasco. So that these two could understand one another clearly, and Aguilar translated into Castilian (Spanish) for Cortes. This was the great beginning of our conquests, and thus, thanks be to God, things prospered with us. I have made a point of explaining this matter, because without the help of Dona Marina we could not have understood the language of Mexico."

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Backstory

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Timeline of Events

Early 1519

Mid 1521

Late 1519

Spanish & their allies lay seige to Aztec capital

Spanish take Montezuma prisoner

Cortes lands on mainland Mesoamerica

Mid 1519

Mid 1520

Spanish are driven from Aztec capital

Spanish ally with Tlaxcala

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Spanish Arrive

When Cortes disembarks his men at Vera Cruz, he scuttles his ships- there is no turning back now.

Cortes sails from Cuba to the Yucatan Peninsula in defiance of Governor Diego Velazquez's orders (1519).

Cortes encounters a shipwreck survivor from a previous expedition that learned to speak Tabascan (1519).

The Tlaxcalans attack the Spanish when they first meet, but their leaders decide to ally with them (1519).

After capturing a coastal town, Cortes is given several native women, one of whom is La Malinche.

The Spanish and a thousand Tlaxcalans march to Cholula, the second largest city in the region (1519).

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Violence Begins

Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, excerpt from The Florentine Codex, mid-to-late 16th century

"They said to them, 'The Cholulans are very evil; they are our enemies. They are as strong as the Mexica, and they are the Mexica's friends.' When the Spaniards heard this, they went to Cholula. The Tlaxcalans and Cempoalans went with them, oufitted for war. When they arrived, there was a general summons and cry that all the noblemen, rulers, subordinate leaders, warriors, and commoners should come, and everyone assembled in the temple courtyard. When they had all come together, the Spaniards and their friends blocked the entrances, all of the places where one entered. Thereupon people were stabbed, struck, and killed. No such thing was in the mind of the Cholulans; they did not meet the Spaniards with weapons of war. It just seemed that they were stealthily and treacherously killed, because the Tlaxcalans persuaded the Spanish to do it."

The Massacre at Cholula as depicted in the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, compiled in the 1580's

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Cortes & Montezuma Meet

Bernal Diaz, excerpt from The True History of the COnquest of New Spain, 1567

"When Cortes was told that the Great Montezuma was approaching, and he saw him coming, he dismounted from his horse, and when he was near Montezuma, they simultaneously paid great reverence to one another. Montezuma bade him welcome and our Cortes replied through Dona Marina wishing him very good health. And it seems to me that Cortes, through Dona Marina, offered him his right hand, and Montezuma did not wish to take it, but he did give his hand to Cortes when he brought out a necklace which he had ready at hand, made of glass stones (pearls).. and when he had so placed it he (Cortes) was going to embrace him (Montezuma), and those great princes who accompanied Montezuma held back Cortes by the arm so that he should not embrace him."

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Cortes Turns Trouble into Triumph

Cortes leaves Pedro de Alvarado with a small number of men to guard Montezuma.

Aztecs attack Cortes' Totonac allies to make them an Aztec tribute state again.

Cortes and some of his native allies sneak attack the Spanish force sent to arrest him.

Cortes takes Montezuma prisoner to force him to turn over the Aztecs who led the attack (1519).

Cuban Governor Velasquez sends 1,000 Spanish soldiers to arrest Cortes for disobeying his orders.

Cortes convinces the Spaniards he captures to join him, greatly increasing the size of his force.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Meanwhile...Trouble in Tenochtitlan

Trapped in the center of the city, the Spanish attempt to sneak out, but the Aztecs attack them on the causeways.

La Noche Triste

During the festival, Alvarado and his men attack the dancers inside the temple.

The Spanish Attack

The Aztecs celebrate the Festival of Toxcatl to honor the gods Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli.

The Aztecs Celebrate

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Aztec Revenge- Grisly Fate for Captives

Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, from The Florentine Codex, mid-to-late 16th century

"Then they took the captives to Yacacolco, hurrying them along, going along herding their captives together... The Spaniards went first, going in the lead; the people of all the different city-states just followed, coming last, and when the sacrifice was over, they strung the Spaniards' heads on poles (on the skull rack); they also strung up the horses' heads."

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Imperial Transition

Aztec leadership shifts from Montezuma to his brother Cuitlahuac

• Pedro de Alvarado had sent Montezuma out to calm the Aztecs after the temple massacre.
• The Spanish say the Aztecs threw stones at him and killed him; the Aztecs say the Spanish murdered him (1520).
• Aztec nobles chose Montezuma's brother Cuitlahuac to be the new emperor.
• Cuitlahuac leads Aztec resistance but dies of smallpox in less than three months.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

Disease- the Silent Killer

Fray Martin de Jesus de la Coruna, excerpt from The Chronicles of Michoacan, 1541.

"Before the Spanish arrived they all had smallpox and measles, from which large numbers of people died, along with many lords and high families. All the Spaniards of the time are unanimous in that this disease was general throughout New Spain (Mesoamerica), for which reason it is to be given credence. The people are in accord in that measles and smallpox were unknown until the Spaniards brought them to the land."

Excerpt from The Florentine Codex, mid-to-late 16th century.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

The Final Death Struggle

The Spanish Return

Cortes returns to attack the Aztecs after recovering

Cortes and a large force of native allies lay seige to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, cutting off the water supply; cut off from their tribute, people begin to starve.

Emperor is Captured

Cornered, Emperor Cuauhtemoc surrenders

Faced with being killed by Spanish muskets and crossbows, Cuauhtemoc is captured, but the Spanish argue over whose prisoner he is!

Conquest is Consolidated

Conquest over, Christian conversion begins (1521)

The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan is slowly transformed into the Spanish colonial capital of Mexico City as Lake Texcoco is filled in; Aztec temples are torn down and Christian churches are built.

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

40 Years of Spanish Empire-Building

1492

Columbus "discovers" the Americas by sailing into the Caribbean, initiating Spanish empire-building in the New World.

1494

The Pope brokers the Treaty of Tordesillas to divide the world between the Catholic empires of Portugal and Spain..

1521

Hernan Cortes completes his conquest of the Aztec Empire with native allies.

1522

The last remaining ship of Ferdinand Magellan's mission to circumnavigate the globe returns to Spain with 18 survivors..

1532

Francisco Pizarro conquers the Inca Empire with native allies.

Pizarro vs. Incas

empires colliding: the aztecs & the spanish

End of the Conquistadors: the King takes charge

Conquistadors are great at conquering, but not at governing

The age of conquistadors was not long-lived; the allure of wealth and titles had motivated the most adventurous Spaniards to gamble with their lives in building the Spanish Empire, but their rough ways soon made it apparent to the monarchy that they were a liability after the conquest. As seen with the capture of the last Aztec Emperor Cuauhtemoc, the conquistadors often had arguments with each other, sometimes breaking out into violence (after conquering the Inca Empire Francisco Pizarro was murdered by other conquistadors). The Spanish king then stepped in to establish order and sent personal representatives called viceroys out to the colonies to facilitate his rule.

So how do Cortes' conquest of the Aztecs and Pizarro's conquest of the Incas compare? What do these stories tell us about European empire-building in this time period?