How did the Aztecs react to Cortes?

Some scholars state that, disgusted with him, the Aztecs stoned him to death. Others, including indigenous scholars, assert that the Spanish killed him. Once the city had fallen, Cortés began building Mexico City on the ruins.

What happened as a result of Cortes expedition?

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who explored Central America, overthrew Montezuma and his vast Aztec empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain.

How did Hernan Cortes communicate with Aztecs?

In the early months of the Conquest, then, Cortés had to speak Spanish to Gerónimo de Aguilar, who translated this into Maya to Malintzin, who in turn translated this into Náhuatl for the Mexica. Talk about Chinese whispers!

What happened to the Aztecs and Hernán Cortés?

During the Spaniards’ retreat, they defeated a large Aztec army at Otumba and then rejoined their Tlaxcaltec allies. In May 1521, Cortés returned to Tenochtitlán, and after a three-month siege the city fell. This victory marked the fall of the Aztec empire.

How did Hernán Cortés impact the world?

Cortez’s men destroyed the city, killed thousands of Aztecs, and ushered in centuries of Spanish rule. They also introduced the Spanish language to an area with a variety of indigenous languages, most notably Nahuatl, the official language of the Aztec empire.

What were Hernán Cortés accomplishments?

Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés (c. 1485-1547) is best known for conquering the Aztecs and claiming Mexico on behalf of Spain. Cortés (full name Don Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca) first served as a soldier in an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velázquez in 1511.

What happened to the Aztecs after they were conquered?

The Aztec empire collapsed, its temples were defaced or destroyed, and its fine art melted down into coins. Ordinary people suffered from the European-introduced diseases which wiped out up to 50\% of the population, and their new overlords did not turn out to be any better than the Aztecs.

How did Hernán Cortés interact with the native people?

He fought and conquered the local natives. Here and elsewhere, he forced the Indians to convert to Christianity. If they refused, they were killed. The natives were astonished at the Spaniards for more than their powerful army.

What did the Aztecs think of Hernán Cortés?

Many within the Aztec Empire came to believe that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl the god who would return to overthrow the god Tezcatlipoca, who demanded human sacrifice. Cortés was aided by an Indian woman La Malinche or Malintzin, who became an invaluable interpreter for and mistress and confidant of Cortés.

How did the Aztecs impact Mexico?

From their magnificent capital city, Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs emerged as the dominant force in central Mexico, developing an intricate social, political, religious and commercial organization that brought many of the region’s city-states under their control by the 15th century.

What happened to the Aztecs after Cortes arrived?

Their capital, Tenochtitlán, had become such a splendid city that, according to records, it dazzled the Spaniards, exceeding anything they had seen before. Two years after the arrival of Cortés and his conquistadors, constant war and diseases new to the Americas had destroyed Tenochtitlán, and the Aztec Empire was no more.

When did Hernan Cortes explore the early Americas?

Exploring the Early Americas. Cortés and the Aztecs. In 1519, inspired by rumors of gold and the existence of large, sophisticated cities in the Mexican interior, Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) was appointed to head an expedition of eleven ships and five hundred men to Mexico.

What did Hernan Cortes believe about the marriage between Alonso Grado and Moctezuma?

Hernán Cortés believed that a marriage between the eldest daughter of Moctezuma, called “Doña Isabel,” and Spaniard Alonso Grado would benefit New Spain by bringing conqueror and conquered together as a new people.

What did Hernán Cortes write to Charles V?

This volume contains the second and third letters sent by Hernán Cortés to Emperor Charles V. Cortés’s letters are reports and represent some of the earliest European accounts of Mexican people, culture, religion, and history. The accompanying map is the first European image in print of Tenochtitlán (Mexico City) and the Gulf Coast of Mexico.