Corts Conquest of Central Mexico - Assignment Example

Draft CORTÉSS CONQUEST OF CENTRAL MEXICO CORTÉSS CONQUEST OF CENTRAL MEXICO Hernán Cortés is a well-known Spaniard conquistador and in the history of Mexico, he is remembered for having suppressed the Aztecs and making Mexico a Spanish empire. The history of Cortés dates back in 1519 when he first arrived in Mexico. Hernan also participated in the conquering of Cuba and was the first governor of Spain. He was very educated and having been born in 1485, he had managed to pursue a degree in law and graduated from the University of Salamanca and therefore was very influential. The main reason for his success in Mexico was due to his superior technology in weapon and war organization unlike the untrained and poorly armed natives. Cortés arrived at the Mexican coast at a place called Yucatan in 1519 a year after Spain had discovered the country. He named the place Veracruz a name that has remained in use to date. Accompanying him were 508 soldiers ,100 sailors an 14 small canons which he used to defeat the natives during his reign here(Schwartz and Stuart B ,2000 , pg 12) . He first settled in Tabasco where he faced a strong opposition from the natives. However, he fought back harshly and the natives surrendered. This was the start of his success in Mexico. The Tabasco offered his food, women and an interpreter who was known as La Malinche or Doña Marina who acted as the go-between with the locals. The Native war-men were not trained and were easily killed easily due to lack of skills and weapons. (Schwartz and Stuart B, 2000, pg 17). Few weeks after his arrival, he set sail from Yutican to the southeastern coast where he found Velasquez. Through orders from king charles1 of Spain, he dismissed the authority of Velasquez and declared himself king .Unlike many native leaders, Cortés had knowledge on army training and he trained his men to act as a disciplined united unit (Schwartz and Stuart B, 2000, pg 25). The country was rich in minerals and fertile land and Cortés was determined to dominate the land. He went to an extent of burning his ships to make re-treating not an option. During his stay here, Cortés learned that the Aztecs under the rule of their powerful leader Montezuma II were a powerful primary force in Mexico. Due to his high level of Education, he knew he had to find support from within on order to conquer this powerful group. After an extensive research that took six months, he discovered the Tlaxcala’s who were a native group and great enemies of the Aztecs (Schwartz and Stuart B , 2000 , pg 41).The group became an important target during his raid of the Tenochtitlan (the capital city of Aztec) . Coincidentally, the arrival of Cortés to this city matched a long awaited prophesy. The Aztec god (Quetzalcoatl) was set to return whom they believed he had created humans and other notable feasts. Cortés was highly organized in war and he spent many days organizing his gang before moving to the city. Schwartz and Stuart B, (2000, pg 77) describes how Cortés organized his army. Before entering the city, on November 8, 1519 Cortés and his troops prepared themselves for battle, armoring themselves and their horses, and arranging them in proper military rank. Four horsemen were at the lead of the procession. Behind these horsemen were five more contingents: foot soldiers with iron swords and wooden or leather shields; horsemen in cuirasses, armed with iron lances, swords, and wooden shields; crossbowmen; more horsemen; soldiers armed with arquebuses; lastly, native peoples from Tlaxcalan, Tliliuhquitepec, and Huexotzinco. The indigenous soldiers wore cotton armor and were armed with shields and crossbows; many carried provisions in baskets or bundles while others escorted the cannons on wooden carts. Montezuma welcomed the party with great honour and sent out envoys to meet him. However, the Spaniards skin color and the sight of men on horsebacks surprised the Aztecs community. The locals describe him as a beast with two heads and six legs (Schwartz and Stuart B, 2000, pg 55). Cortés utilized this un-prepared moment and with his technology of guns, he fired shots, which intimidated and astonished the natives. Cortés took their leader to hostage while the Spanish soldiers continued to take over the city. With the help of the Dona, the interpreter, Cortés controlled Montezuma to rule the city in His way. While Cortés continued to rule the Tenochtitlan through their leader, a Spanish force sent by Diego Velasquez from Cuba came into the Mexican coast to. Their mission was to unseat Cortés. Upon learning this, he organized a fort of Spaniard and Tlaxcala soldiers who went on to rebel the arriving Spanish men. Cortés had 16 Spanish horses and 10 small canons, which he used to fight back. (Schwartz and Stuart B, 2000, pg 112) His army was able to attack very fast and run away. Through this method, Cortés defeated the Spanish force. During the war with the men from Cuba, one of his men was infected with smallpox from them. On his return to Tenochtitlan, he realized that the Aztecs were in full rebellion and he fled the city in fear. During the rebellion the Aztec communities were affected by the disease and with their bodies having low Immunity, the smallpox disease spread rapidly. During this time, the Aztecs had lost trust in Montezuma and they blamed him for their misfortunes. They did not have food and many of their people died this disease. The community was very weak and it created a chance for Cortés to come back in 1521 in full force. This time it was very easy to rule them since they were weak and lacked organization. It remains uncertain how Montezuma died but historical scholars suggest that the Aztecs stoned him to death while others argue that the Spaniards killed him. On august 13th, members of the Aztec empire fled away, Cortés was able to claim it for Spain and he renamed the city Mexico City. His reign continued to 1524 as he personally managed Mexico. In conclusion, Cortes managed to overpower the natives due to the kind of weapons he had and the ability to organize the army. These two technologies made his taking over easy. Bibliography Schwartz, Stuart B. Victors and Vanquished: Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. Read More