ErinMcNally
@10383936
HistoryoftheAmericanWest
Expanding the boundaries of the Spanish empire in the New World was a slow and
continious process. When Columbus first arrived to the Americas he took note that the Native
Americanswere
loving cooperative, and peaceful people. Becauseofhismercurial,andassumedsuperiorityhe
felt Godlike around the Native Americans. Columbus then concluded thattheNativeAmerican
inhabitants could be slaves due to the fact that they have no arms and are all naked without
anyknowledgeofwar.
ThisideaallowedthefirstsettlersassimilatetheNativesintotheircustoms,inattemptsto
civilizethem.NoticingthatmanyoftheNativesworegoldornaments,Columbusbeganafurther
conquest,leadingtomanyscenesoffrightfulviolence,waranddestructiontoeventuallygain
god,goldandglory.Theideaofgod,gold,andglorybecamethereasonforfurtherexpansion,
andsettlementbyothercountriessuchasSpain,whounderstoodthatthelandcouldeasilybe
acquired.SpanishconquistadorsrespondedtotheserumorsoftheMexicoterritory,settingsail
fromCubawithafleetofelevenships,530soldiers,alongwithhorses,andnumerousfighting
dogs.
Inthe1520sthroughthe1530stheSpanishExpeditionwasledbyHernanCortesaman
saidtobesexuallyattractive,physicallystrong,slowtoanger,butsometimesraisedto
speechlessfury.HewasalsoabletoreadLatin,writepoetry,andfoundpleasureingamblingat
cardsanddice.WhenarrivingattheMexicancoastCortesorderedthattheshipsbedismantled
sothattheymaybegintheirexplorationandexpansionoftheSpanishEmpire.Quitelike
ColumbustheSpaniardswereintheNewWorldinsearchofgod,gold,andglory.Theirarrival
waswellknownbyMoctezumaII,theruleroftheAztecsofcentralMexicowhichgoverned
manysurroundingcitystates.ManyofMoctezumaIIsspiesrecordedtheSpanishmovementin
agroupofdetaileddrawingsreportingtheappearanceoflightcoloredskintone,longbeards,
andlonghair.
TheAztecsdominatedtheregionfromtheircapitalatTenochtitlanacrossmanyoftheir
greatcitystatesbecomingoneofthethesixteenthcenturyworldsgreatestcities.Thecityrested
onanislandcontaininggreatwealth,andstunningarchitectureincludingsteppedpyramids,stone
temples,goldenvessels,andirrigationcanals.Moctezumaconsideredthesocietypowerful,
great,andcertainofthemselves,justlikethenewarrivingSpaniards.Duetothelargenumberof
peopletheAztecscouldhaveeasilytakencontrolandcrushedtheseveralhundredSpaniardsto
defendtheircity.Moctezumaremainedundecidedabouttherightcourseofactiontotakeagainst
thenewsettlersduetotheenormousamountofpowerthathisempirehad.
OneofthemanyreasonswhythespanishwereabletoconquertheAztecEmpirewasdue
tothefactthattheAztecshadseriousdoubtsabouttheinvaders.Forseveralyearsbeforethe
Spaniardsarrivedtherehadbeenaseriesofevilomensincludingcomets,heavenlylights,
monstroustwoheadedbirths,andfoaminglakewaters.TheappearanceoftheSpaniards
sparkedcuriosity,andfearamongsttheAztecs.AdvisorsofMoctezumaassumedthattheevil
omenstheyhavebeengracedwithhavebeenleadinguptoCortesarrivaltofulfilltheprophecy
ofthegods.
AnotherreasonbehindCortestakeoveroftheAztecEmpirewashismasterfulartof
negotiation.CortescameintocontactwithayoungAztecnamedMalintzinwhosenamethen
changedtoLaMalinche.Shewassoldintoslaveryasachild,andwasgiventoCortesafter
sidingwiththeSpaniards.Shequicklylearnedspanish,andservedasCortesinterpreteramongst
theNativeAmericanstheywouldmeet.ManyMexicansseeMalincheasasymbolofbetrayalto
herpeopleduetohersidingwiththeSpanishandalsoasymboloftheblendingofculturesasshe
becameCortesmistressandborehimason.CortesexploitedMalincheandusedherinfluenceto
gainpoweramongsttheAztecoppressedTlaxcalansastheyjoinedtheSpaniardstotakeoverthe
TenochtitlanCapital.Withincreasednumbersintothethousands,theSpaniardshadnodoubtof
thedefeatingtheAztecEmpire.
WhenCortesandhismixedArmyarrivedtoTenochtitlan,MoctezumawelcomedCortes
andallowedhimandhislieutenantstheuseoflargequartersnearthepalace.Itwasthenlateron
thatCortesenragedMoctezumabyknockingdownanAztecreligiousshrineandreplacingit
withacatholicalter.Aztecswereverycommittedtotheirreligiousbeliefsoftenpracticing
religiousritualsofhumansacrafice,selftorture,astopleasethegods.WhenCortesdestroyed
thereligiousshrinethisgreatlyupsetMoctezuma,andtheAztecpeople.Laterin1520Spaniards
seizedTenochtitlanandmassacredagroupofyoungmenengaginginreligiouspractices.This
incidentstartedarevoltoftheAztecpeoplewhothenbegantobesiegetheSpaniards.After
sevendaystheSpaniardsmadeatattempttofleeTenochtitlanatnight.Wearingheavyarmor
stuffedwithpreciousstonesandgoldfromMoctezumastreasurehouse,twothirdsofthearmy
drownedinthecanalastheytriedtocrossit.
TheSpaniardsreturnedwithinayear,withmanyreinforcementtroopsfromCubaalong
withthousandsofIndianallieswhonowdesperatelywantedtooverthrowtheAztecEmpire.The
expeditiontoceasecontroloftheAztecEmpirewasdonethroughmilitaryforce,thechoosingof
allies,andtheoverwhelmingspreadofsmallpox.Smallpoxadiseasebroughtonbythe
Spaniards,causeddeathofalmosthalfofthepopulation,makingitalmosttooeasyforthe
Spaniardstotakecontrol.AstheSpaniardstookcontroloftheempireAztecleaderswere
captured,andtorturedtorevealvariouslocationsoftreasure.
ManyoftheAztecIndiansweresettoworkinbuildingthenewcapitalunderthegovern
ofSpanishLords.RatherthanacceptingthisformofslaveryputonthembytheSpaniards,
Indianseitherresistedthepersecution,ormoreoftenkillingthemselves,aftertakingthelivesof
theirchildren.SpanishexplorationfurthercontinuedandmovedalongnorthledbyFrancisco
VasquezdeCoronadoalongwiththreehundredSpaniardsaswellassevenhundredsof
TxlacalanwarriorsinsearchofCabezadeVacasgoldencitiesofCibola.
ThetakingoftheAztecEmpirebySpanishconquistadorHernanCorteswasaprocess
thatrequiredstrategy,greatinfluenceofculture,andpatiencetoattaingod,gold,glory.Oneof
thegreatestmysteriesofthisinvasionishowCorteswassuccessfullyabletodefeatanationthat
outnumberedhimbythethousands.TheSpaniardswereabletocrushtheAztecEmpireby
influencingmanyoftheoppressednativestobecomealliesandfightwiththemtooverthrow
Moctezumasrule.AlthoughproblemsemergedwiththedrowningofmostoftheSpanisharmy,
Corteswasrelentlessinachievingandrulingovertheempire.Theepidemicofsmallpoxalso
gavetheSpaniardstheadvantagebykillingofhalfofthepeopleinTenochtitlanwithinayear.
TheexpeditionoftheSpaniardswassuccessfulinachievingitsoriginalaimduringits
explorationastheywereabletospreadandinfluencereligion,attaingold,andliveintheglory
oftheempiretheyhadconquered.
