The Spanish Conquest Essay Example

The Spanish Conquest Essay The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in 1521, led by Hernando Cortes, was a landmark victory for the European settlers. Following the Spanish arrival in Mexico, a huge battle erupted between the army of Cortes and the Aztec people under the rule of Montezuma. The Aztecs are a tribe, according to their own legends, from Aztlan somewhere in the north of modern Mexico. A major part of their life was religion. A polytheistic people, they often practiced human sacrifice to please their gods . The Aztecs had good wealth from trading and heavy payments of tribute from conquered people. According to legend, the god Quetzalcoatl, characterized by light skin, red hair, and light eyes, was supposed to return to earth. This appearance is very similar to Hernando Cortez’s appearance, and why the Aztecs greeted the Spaniards with food, gold, and women one of them, known to the Spaniards as Dona Marina, becomes Cortes mistress and interpreter . In November 1519 when Cortes approaches Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs, his small force is augmented by 1000 Tlaxtalecs . But to the astonishment of the Spaniards, no force is needed. Cortes wasted no time in taking claim for god and King. He challenged the natives and entered Tenochtitlan, taking the Aztec leader, Montezuma, hostage which led to the Aztec uprising that culminated in La Noche Triste . The Spaniards had the advantage over the Aztecs in every way except for numbers. They had strange animals that the Aztecs had never seen before such as the horse, which they thought were connected to the Spaniards. We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Spanish Conquest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The horses allowed the Spaniards to tower over the battling Aztecs giving them an advantage on spotting on coming attacks. The Spaniards also had guns, swords, cannons, and metal shields to protect their bodies . The Aztecs didn’t try to kill the Spaniards but instead tried to use them as sacrifices. They’d beat them with their wooden weapons or throw spears at them to injure them. Despite Cortes’s encountering a few setbacks, there was no contest, and he managed to subdue five million Aztecs with his tiny army. Not only did they beat the Aztecs in battle, the diseases syphilis and smallpox helped them by killing off half of the Aztecs . Aside from this negative aspect of the European discovery of the New World, the Spaniards had some positive effects on the native population. They introduced domestic animals like horses, sheep, cattle, and pigs to the American Continent. Furthermore, they brought sugar, and different kinds of grains and fruits with them.