The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs

Without the tale of Hernan Cortes and Montezuma relationship the story of Spain’s assault on Mexico would not be complete.

Montezuma, a proud and glorious king of the Aztec people; and Hernan Cortes, a devious and resourceful man trying to prove himself to his country. Their relationship controlled the fate of an entire people and culture. When they first met Montezuma personally addressed Cortés with flowers from his own garden, giving him highest honor he could give; yet Cortés didn’t understand the significance of the gesture.[i] It is thought that Cortés’ arrival coincided with an Aztec prophecy about a white-skinned god arriving from the east[ii], which explains why Montezuma and the Aztec people welcomed Cortés and gave him such lavish gifts. Montezuma welcomed the Spanish into their home not knowing that they’re plan was to seize the large amounts of gold the Aztecs possessed, and spread they’re diseases (such as small pox) which would kill all but 25% of the Aztec people.

When Cortes arrived he pretended to be a courteous guest due to the sheer size of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was an urban island settlement that housed 200,000 Aztec inhabitants at its height.[iii] It was one of the largest cities in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. So there is no doubt that Cortes was in awe of the city along with a fear that he only had 600 men to take the city along with the natives he had coursed. After the official greeting between Cortes and Montezuma, Montezuma had the palace of his father Axayacatl prepared to house Cortes and his troops along with his 3000 native allies.[iv] Cortés later then asked Montezuma to provide them with more gifts of gold to demonstrate his fealty as a vassal of Charles the fifth; Montezuma agreed. Then Cortes demanded that the two large idols be removed from the main temple in the city, the human blood be scrubbed off, along with the shrines to the Virgin Mary and St. Christopher be set up in their place.[v] Montezuma continued to meet all his demands.

The people one the other hand were not ok with the Spanish any longer. Since they were paying the price, by being taxed heavily to pay for the gold that Montezuma gave the Spanish.[vi] Along with the destruction and disrespect of their holy places from the Spanish. Cortés fearing revolt from the people seized Montezuma in his own palace and made him his prisoner as insurance against Aztec revolt.[vii] He later demanded an enormous ransom of gold, which was duly delivered. Knowing that their leader was in chains and being required to feed not just a band of Spaniards but thousands of their Tlaxcalteca allies, the populace of Tenochtitlan continued to feel a strain weighing upon them.[viii] Which eventually caused an uprising.[ix]

In April 1520, Velázquez (the man who originally authorized Cortes mission then tried to stop Cortes before he left) sent an expedition to capture Cortés. Cortes was trapped he could not fight the Aztecs and the Spanish at the same time. So Cortés left Tenochtitlan to fight the Spanish expedition, an Aztec revolt later began in Tenochtitlan.[x] Cortés then returned and obliged Montezuma to face the crowd, but the Aztec leader was then struck by a stone and died. Which caused a surge of anger from Aztecs. The Spanish were then driven out of the city, by the angry mobs, incurring heavy losses. Cortés then re-organized his forces and in 1521 returned to Tenochtitlan, which fell after a three-month siege.[xi] A new settlement, Mexico City, was built on the ruins and settled with Spanish colonists, becoming the center of Spanish America.[xii] Cortés secured control over Mexico, inflicting great cruelty on the Aztecs population.

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[i] Mark, Richard L. Cortes. New York: New York, 1993.

[ii] Mark, Richard L. Cortes. New York: New York, 1993.

[iii] Turid Tangen, “The Conquest of the Aztecs” Then Again. http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/americas/cortes.cp.htm

[iv] Thomas, Hugh. Conquest. New York: New York, 1993.

[v] Thomas, Hugh. Conquest. New York: New York, 1993.

[vi] Mark, Richard L. Cortes. New York: New York, 1993.

[vii] Thomas, Hugh. Conquest. New York: New York, 1993.

[viii] Gibson, Charles. The Aztecs under Spanish rule. California, Stanford, 1964.

[ix] Mark, Richard L. Cortes. New York: New York, 1993.

[x] Gibson, Charles. The Aztecs under Spanish rule. California, Stanford, 1964.

[xi] Gibson, Charles. The Aztecs under Spanish rule. California, Stanford, 1964.

[xii] Benson, Elizabeth P. The Maya World. California: Los Angela’s, 1834.

Freedom From the Spanish

The story of Mexican independence could not be told with considering the role of Guadalupe Victoria, Vicente Guerrero. Without, these men Mexico would not be the free from Spain’s Tierney.

Guadalupe Victoria was a Mexican politician and military officer who fought for independence from the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence. Guadalupe Victoria first joined in 1812, the insurgent forces of Hermenegildo Galeana. And later fought alongside José María Morelos at the siege of Cuautla.[i] He then participated in the assault on Oaxaca and joined the troops of Nicolas Bravo in Veracruz. He dedicated himself and his troops to controlling the passage of El Puente del Rey and became famous for his successful attacks on military convoys until 1815, when he was defeated.[ii]

Vicente Guerrero joined in the early revolt against Spain in 1810, first fighting alongside José María Morelos. He then joined the rebellion in November 1811 and enlisted in a division that fought for independence with their leader José María Morelos who had organized to fight in southern Mexico. Guerrero then distinguished himself in the battle of Izúcar, and achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel when the rebel forces claimed Oaxaca. When Mexico eventually achieved its independence, he collaborated with Agustín de Iturbide, who proposed that the two join forces under what they referred to as the Three Guarantees. Iturbide's stated his ideas that Mexico be made an independent constitutional monarchy, the abolition of class distinctions between Spaniards, creoles, mestizos and Indians, and that Catholicism be made the state religion earned Guerrero's support; After marching into the capital.[iii] Congress proclaimed Iturbide the Emperor of Mexico. However, when Iturbide's policies supported the interests of Mexico's wealthy landowners through continued economic exploitation of the poor and working classes. [iv]Guerrero turned against him and came out in favor of a Republic with the Plan of Casa Mata.

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[i] Smith, Michael E. The Aztecs. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996.

[ii] Gibson, Charles. The Aztecs under Spanish rule. California, Stanford, 1964.

[iii] Ibid

[iv] Vaillant, George C. Aztecs of Mexico. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1953.

Time as a Spanish Colony

A complex cast system was developed during the Spanish control of Mexico that made it unique.

While Cortes was conquering the Aztec capital, no one in Spain was aware of it since Cortes conquest was without any official recognition. With little preparation, Spain found itself a ruler a faraway land many times larger than itself and much more populated.[i] Spain had to control and convert such a land that was over two months away by sea, so they used to Caste system to maintain control. So the Spanish developed a caste system based on race, which was used to determine a person's importance in society.

Mestizo, persons with one peninsular parent and one native parent. Castizo, persons with one mestizo parent and one criollo parent. Cholos, persons with one native parent and one mestizo parent. Mulatos, persons of mixed peninsular and African descent. They were sometimes made into slaves. Zambos, persons who were mixed indio and African. Euromestizos, Spanish Indian mixture with Spanish characteristics predominating. Indomestizos, Spanish Indian mixture with Spanish characteristics predominating.[ii] The largest class was the Natives, which were the wards of the church and the Crown. Over the years, the number of African slaves diminished over the years from 20,000 in the 16th century to 6,000 by 1800.[iii]

General racial groupings had their own set of privileges and restrictions, both legal and customary. Persons of mixed race were collectively referred to as "castas". Long lists of different terms, used to identify types of people with specific racial or ethnic heritages, were developed by the late 17th century. By the end of the colonial period in 1821, over one hundred categories of possible variations of mixture existed. The terms for the more complex racial mixtures tended to vary in meaning and use afrom region to region. Overall the Cast system was quite effective, it kept Spain in complete control until they finally become independent. [iv]

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[i] Benson, Elizabeth P. The Maya World. California: Los Angela’s, 1834.

[ii] Hernando Cortés (1485-1547) http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cortes_hernan.shtml

[iii] Smith, Michael E. The Aztecs. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996.

[iv] Benson, Elizabeth P. The Maya World. California: Los Angela’s, 1834.