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Period: 1519 to 1521
Hernan Cortes and The Aztecs
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Feb 17, 1519
Expedition to Mexico
Although against Valasquez's orders, Cortes sails from Cuba to Mexico. Land that has yet to be explored and/or documented. -
May 11, 1519
Attack
Tlaxcalans attack the Spanish. The Tlaxcalans were a group of indingenous people located East of Mexico. -
May 20, 1519
Alliance
The Tlaxalans form an alliance with the Spanish, to defeat the Aztecs.This lead the Spanish to compromise a situation that allowed the territoy to remain mostly in tact through the years of colonial period. -
Jul 3, 1519
Meeting
After countless times of refusing to meet Cortes, Moctezuma peacefully received Cortes. He deliberately welcomed Cortes and his men, in hopes of finding their weakness for future references. That later changed and ideas such as Cortes and his men being forms of the serpent god came to show in Cortes' letters -
Oct 23, 1519
Massacre
The Spanish massacre thousands of Aztecs while preparing for their religious festival -
1520
Epidemic
The Aztec begin to die from smallpox. As said before, Cortes had ignored the order of the Cuban governor. The governor sent out Pánfilo de Narváez to chase after Cortes, however one of Narvaez's forces contained an active case of small pox, which spread like wildfire among the Aztecs -
Feb 9, 1520
Retreat
The Spanish retreat after the Aztecs gather arms. Managing a narrow escape with their rearguards massacred, the Spaniards are able to leave with some treasure. -
Mar 16, 1520
Death Of Moctezuma
Moctezuma dies. Either by the hands of the Spanish or showers of rocks by his own people. -
Jun 25, 1520
2nd Attack
The Spanish form a second attack on the now weak Aztec. The Aztec fall in numbers due to the epidemic -
Apr 4, 1521
Cortes Rule
After the down fall of the Aztec Empire, Cortes becomes the governor and captain general of New Spain -
Surrender
The last surviving group of Aztecs surrender to Cortes. Thus the Aztec Empire ceasing to exist
