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Cortez

However not only war captives were sacrifices, common adults and children were also sacrificed at times. Cortes himself was disgusted at the thought of human sacrifice, this allowed him to gain Indian allies as well as gain respect among tribes that feared and opposed the Aztecs. In one of Cortes" letters to Charles V Cortes express" his disgust for this practice. "Some of us have actually seen this done and they say that it is the most terrible and frightful thing that they have ever seen." The majority of the population feared the process therefore making Cortes, whom despised the process, an appealing alternative. Many followed Cortes as they shared the same views on the "human sacrifice" topic. Hernan Cortes posed to eliminate the Aztecs it allowed him to appear as a rescuer from the tyranny of Aztec rule. .
             A minor cause for Hernan Cortes" success was the issue of disease among the Aztecs. Although this is a feeble reason it actually greatly benefited the Spanish in reducing the Aztec population. The Spanish brought smallpox to Mexico, which caused great suffering to the Aztecs. As told from Fray Bernardino De Sahagun about the illness, "at the time the Spaniards left Mexico, there came an illness of pustules of which many local people died; it was called the great rash." The Spanish were immune to the disease so it posed no threat to Cortes" own men. The Aztecs were demoralized by the mysterious illness that killed Indians and spared Spaniards, as if advertising the Spaniards" invincibility. One negative aspect for Cortes however was that his Indian allies suffered from the disease to the same extent as the Aztecs, resulting in considerable losses. As we can see disease played a small yet unintentionally effective role in contributing to Cortes" success. .
             Another reason that enabled Cortes to conquer the empire was the gift of his translators, namely Dona Marina. After a short warring period with the Tabascans they exchanged gifts with one and other.


Essays Related to Cortez

1. Hernan Cortez - Rebel or Empire Builder

... he would write to the king and report that they were rebels. Again this shows both his qualities as an empire builder and a rebel. Cortez assumed his march into the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and in an act of bravery and determination scuttled the ships to make sure that none of his ... that Velasquez and Narvaez were rebels as they had defied the king's officials in Cuba by launching an expedition to seize Cortez. Velasquez also sent letters to the King claiming that Cortez was the rebel but the truth was that both men were rebels. On returning to the city of Mexico the Aztecs ... of Me...

  • Word Count: 988
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Broken

... this had been done, the greatest cannon was fired off. The messengers lost their senses and fainted away" Leon-Portilla, The Broken Spears, p. 26. Cortez did this to instill fear in the messengers who he knew would later report what they had seen. A clear example of when the Spaniards were guilty ... of initiating and waging war was during the fiesta of Toxcatl. Cortez's deputy, Pedro de Alvarado, who was paranoid of the Aztecs was seized with an urge to kill the celebrants. Closing the passages and gates to ... the main cause of the revolt that led to the "Noche Triste" where Aztec warr...

  • Word Count: 720
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. "How did 600 Spanish conquistadors defeat the Aztec Empire?"

... to be deadly against the Aztecs that had no armor to protect themselves. Along with the 600 Spanish conquistadors, Cortez allied himself with ten thousand native enemies of the Aztecs. They had been conquered by the Aztecs and forced to pay taxes to the empire ... force a seize. With the construction of ships with crossbowmen mounted artillery in the Texcoco Lake, Cortez crushed the thousands of small canoes with one decisive battle and controlled the water surrounding the city. Cortez now used Tenochtitlan's best defense against the city. Controlling the waters around the city, Spanish ...

  • Word Count: 1406
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Conquistadors

... engaging in a war which will bring [them] fame," and "Almighty God, in whose name and faith [war] will be waged." All in the same speech, Cortez has his men, as well as all scholars to come, understand their reasoning for being in the Americas. Gold, Glory and God. Not a century after Columbus" voyage ... , both as individuals and for their people, and often at the expense of native societies. Aside from Cortez's speech telling his men of their personal wealth, Bernal Diaz described one of the promises that Cortez had made to his men as "would receive a share of the gold, silver, and rich...

  • Word Count: 778
  • Approx Pages: 3

5. European Settler

... . The Native Americans suffered greatly due to their susceptibility to foreign diseases, and European greed for riches and desire to expand. Between 1518 and 1521 Hernando Cortez lead an expedition of approximately 600 men to the new world in what is now Mexico. There they found the beautiful city of Tenochtitlan where they were ... , for a while, seen as gods. When war did break loose, Cortez was forced to flee. Before he returned with more men, a vast number of Aztecs suffered and died of smallpox because there bodies had no natural immunities to ... . The European's overall desire for ...

  • Word Count: 524
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. When Jesus Came The Corn Mothers Went Away

In 1519, Hernando Cortéz, a Spanish Conquistador and explorer sailed west from the already settled island of Cuba. He arrived on the coast of Mexico. He and his troops hiked for days until they reached a valley where they discovered the beautiful Aztec Empire. Cortéz and his men eventually conquered and destroyed the Aztec Empire, taking away all its riches. On the ruins of the empire Cortéz began a new city named Mexico. This city became the center of government for a new Spanish colony. The Spaniards' next goal was to find another Mexico City " a "new" Mexico. They hoped to find another I...

  • Word Count: 1116
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. European Colonization of the Americas

... food. From 1492 -1519 the Spanish sent people to West Indies including Christopher Columbus, who incidentally discovered America. In 1519 Cortez lead an army through Mexico and conquered the Aztec Empire of six million people for the heaping piles of gold. Cortez reasoned in the Second Letter to Charles V, "many rare and wonderful objects it contains daily assemble more than sixty thousand ... commented on the organization of the city markets, "Every kind of merchandise is sold in a particular street or quarter assigned to it exclusively, and thus the best order is preserved. " Cortez r...

  • Word Count: 2164
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Aztec

When Hernando Cortez arrived at the Valley of Mexico in 1519, he found a huge city standing in lake Texcoco. This city was Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was the head of all Aztec civilization. From there ... year correcly. With this knowledge their priests kept a precise solar calender. An almanac gave dates for fixed festivals and listed the various deities. The Aztecs the most advanced civilization when Cortez was there, but they did not start it . When the Aztec warriors were sent out to take over a city they also took the culture of earlier, more advanced people-the ... Aztecs hadn't of in...

  • Word Count: 454
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Towson University Nursing Program

... their major. Although Towson tries its best to prepare its students to the best of its ability, sometimes it may not be enough to help get a nursing graduate a job. Edwin Cortez, a nursing graduate of Towson University's Class of 2010, suggests that the university should "improve the facilities provided to [nursing] students to cater the actual settings in the work field. "If ... have a better future for soon-to-be nursing graduates at Towson, the university has to make some changes to make the experience more worthwhile and helpful for students. According to Cortez, Towson needs to "ma...

  • Word Count: 1106
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

10. The Broken Spears

... view of the conquered Aztecs. The book talks about everything significant in the Aztec society that took place during this time of conquest. It goes over the first news of Cortez' and the Spaniards arrival. To Montecuhzoma's belief of the gods, and his association that he made between the Gods and the Spaniards. It goes over each single conquest That ... Cortez's troops made early. It also talks about the allies gained by the Spanish, and the acceptance of the Spanish and the surrender of Tenochtitlan. It also touches on the revolt ... order to greet these "gods". But, the Aztec leade...

  • Word Count: 559
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

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