cortez conquers mexico

7/27/2019 Cortez Conquers Mexico

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Dwight Alexander

Ms. Easterling

F Period

Cortes Conquers

Mexico


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In 1519, the world was well into the age of the conquistador. This was a time

of exploration and discovery but it was also the year when the great Spanish

conquistador, Cortes landed in Central America. With around 500 men and limited

supplies, sent on a mission to explore and trade, Cortes saw the riches that Mexico

had to offer and planned to take full advantage of these bounties. Traveling through

Mexico, making allies as well as enemies, over a course of many years Cortes took

over Mexico. But how was this possible? It had to be Cortes. The fact that he took

advantage of every situation he was put into gave him the power to take Mexico.

Like when making alliances with native tribes he obviously had a grander plan in

mind.Also the fact that he was able to see Montezumas weaknesses and use them

so that he had the upper hand also contributed to his victory. And lastly the fact that

he persevered even after being beaten shows that he was there to the end. And

though all of these things seemingly fell into place for him when he got to Mexico the

fact that with his insufficient resources, he was able to conquer Mexico point to

Cortes as an individual.

Though Cortes and his forces, some say, were lead by the Tlaxcaltecs, Cortes

actually used them to counter act his own lack of manpower. Soon after Cortes

arrived in Mexico, he encountered a tribe of native called the Tlaxcaltecs. After many


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small skirmishes with this tribe it was soon apparent that Cortes was in a tough

spot. But in what some say was luck, the Tlaxcaltecs went to the Spaniards to form

an alliance. Because of this alliance the Spanish conquest was possible, because now

he had everything that he had previously lacked in terms of resources and

manpower. Though in history people are now really looking at the significance of

these natives, the fact that he was able to almost ride them to victory is a feat un in

itself. Yes Cortes did need these alliances to win but he wasnt as dependent on the

allies as they were on him. This was because all the natives really had to offer was

men, which basically only evened the odds between Cortes and the Aztec and really

highlighted the superiority of Spanish weapons over Aztec ones. This really though

was the situation that Cortes wanted and vied for so that his superior military could

really be effective.1

Another thing that lead to Spanish victory was the fact that Cortes saw weakness

in Montezuma and the Aztecs and exploited it to gain power over them. Right from

the moment Cortez stepped into the great city of the Aztecs he was welcomed as a

friend and if he was considered a threat it was not shown. The Aztecs offered him

anything he desired and showered him with gifts. After having proceeded along the

1Ron Hessig, How Cortes Won Mexico by Losing.w w Military History, Vol. 24, No.

3 (May 2007): 60-69. Accessed September 19, 2011.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=

ehost-live
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-live


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street, one of his servants came bringing two collars formed of shellfish.2 Some

attribute this to the stranger affect saying that the Aztec culture was just inclined

to accept others and people that are different, but as one could see by looking at all

the tribute states of the Aztecs that they did not really alliances they yearned for

domination. So this sudden kindness was most likely brought out in fear of the

Spanish. Now this also might tie into the religion of the Aztecs and the fact that some

believed the Spanish to be Gods, saying to Cortes, be assured that we will obey you

and acknowledge you3. Then even greater the fear shown by the leader of

something as simple as bread opened up many holes for the Spanish. All of these

things Cortes saw and he knew had the upper hand. And the false sense of trust he

created with the Aztecs left the Aztecs stunned when Cortes attacked.4

Lastly the fact that Cortes persevered through everything really solidified the

victory for the Spanish. From coming all the way from 500 men and limited

resources is an amazing feat. And though as I said before he didnt do it alone he

sure did tie together all the loose ends giving him self the best chances to survive

because again he had nothing to lose. After losing and being thrown out of

2 Hernan Cortes, Cortes on Meeting Moctezuma. In Conquest of Mexico. American

Historical Association: AHA Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age.

http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm

3 Ibid.,4Miguel Leon Portilla, The Broken Spears: An Indian Account of the Conquest of

Mexico. In Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, The World: A History. Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson, 2007.
http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm


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Tenochtitlan things looked very bad for Cortes. But he still moved on. He came back

and came back big with a plan only a man with the intellect of Cortes could think of.

Such brilliance on the part of Cortes all culminated in the defeat of the Aztecs.

As one looks back on this world-changing event it was not what happened,

but how each coincidence or accident was used to achieve the final goal. And really

it was Cortes that tied all of these things, which happened by chance, together into

something that lead to the defeat of the Aztec empire. They fired a the cannon; they

hit no one, but they aim over the peopleand then the war came to an end.5

5Cuauhtemoc Surrenders. In Conquestof Mexico. American Historical Association:

AHA Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age.

http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htm
http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htm


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Bibliography

Cortes, Hernan. Cortes on Meeting Moctezuma. In Conquest of Mexico. American

Historical Association: AHA Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age.

http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm

Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. The World: A History. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2007.

Hessig, Ron. How Cortes Won Mexico by Losing.w w Military History, Vol. 24, No. 3

(May 2007): 60-69. Accessed September 19, 2011.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehos

t-live

Portilla, Miguel Leon. The Broken Spears: An Indian Account of the Conquest of

Mexico. In Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, The World: A History. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson,

2007.

--Cuauhtemoc Surrenders. In Conquest of Mexico. American Historical Association:

AHA Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age.

http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htm
http://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htmhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htmhttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/end.htmhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=27987324&site=ehost-livehttp://www.historians.org/tl/lessonplans/ca/fitch/meeting.htm

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