Hernán Cortés And The Aztecs

Cortez Sets Sail

Feb 7, 1519

Cortez was the treasurer of Cuba, then convinced Velasquez, governor of Cuba, to let him sail to Mexico. The Velasquez canceled the expedition, but Cortes still went. Mexico had been discovered by the Spanish a year before, so Cortes was eager to settle it.

Spanish met with resistance upon landing

May 11, 1519

When he landed, he was met with immediate resistance from the natives, the Tlaxcalans, but they quickly surrendered. They gave the Spanish food, supplies and 20 women, including an interpreter who was named Malintzin.

Tlaxcalans form alliance with Spanish

May 20, 1519

The Spanish found out that the Tlaxcalans were enemies of the Aztecs, who were the primary force in Mexico, when the Tlaxcalans asked to forge an alliance. The Spanish accepted.

Cortez meets Moctezuma

Jul 3, 1519

Moctezuma, the king of the Aztecs, meets with Cortez. Cortez sees that the Aztecs have and abundance of gold, which is the reason he came to Mexico. Aztecs welcome Spanish to stay in their city of Tenochtitlán, because of an Aztec prophecy. The prophecy states that the Aztec god of creation, Quetzalcoatl, is set to return to earth. They believe Cortez to be Quetzalcoatl.

Cortez takes Moctezuma

Aug 9, 1519

Upon entering and sacking the city, Cortes kidnaps Moctezuma and holds him hostage in palace where Cortes was staying in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán. Cortez forces Moctezuma to do what he wants. Moctezuma is now Cortez's voice.

Cortez holds Tenochtitlán

Aug 11, 1519

Cortez controls Tenochtitlán through Moctezuma, and send a force of Spanish and Tlaxcalans to meet Velasquez, who had sent a Spanish force to deseat Cortez. Cortez defeats Velasquez's force.

Spanish massacre Aztecs

Oct 23, 1519

2 months after Moctezuma is taken captive, the Spanish massacre thousands of unarmed Aztecs while preparing for a religious festival. They murdered priests and nobles. Then the Aztecs gather weapons and force Spanish to retreat. They take all weapons left behind by the Spanish.

Moctezuma dies

Mar 16, 1520

Moctezuma gets stoned by his people because he is no longer trusted, and dies.

Noche Triste

Apr 24, 1520

The Spanish try to escape from Tenochtitlán in the middle of the night, but are met with the Aztec army. The Aztecs force the Spanish to stay, killing many of the Spanish in the process.

Aztecs start to die

May 2, 1520

During the fighting, the Aztecs kill a Spanish soldier with Smallpox and are infected. The disease lays waste to the people, who had no immune system to the disease.

Spanish attack again

Jun 25, 1520

Cortez defeats another force sent sent by Velasquez. Half of the Aztec population died of Smallpox, and Cortez attacked the now weakened Aztec, with the forces of the Tlaxcalans and members of a triple alliance between the Aztecs and other cultures. Their total forces were thousands strong. They used boats with cannons to bombard the city. The Aztecs send canoes to try and destroy the ships, but there tiny boats are no match.

Aztecs fall

Aug 15, 1520

The last surviving Aztecs surrender because the Spanish had stopped all flow of water and food into the city. But what really made them surrender was that the Spanish captured their latest king, Cuauhtémoc.

Cortez builds Mexico city

Apr 4, 1521

After the Aztecs surrender, the Spanish raid the destroyed town for gold. They tried to blow up the Aztec's main temple, The Temple Of The Sun, with barrels of gunpowder. Cortez become governor of Mexico and builds Mexico city on the ruins of Tenochtitlán. The remaining Aztecs are enslaved to become farmers for the Spanish.