After the early violent encounters, the Tlaxcalans permitted the Spanish to enter their territory — no doubt they were terrified by the Spanish firearms and horses, neither of which they had ever seen before. For their part, the Spanish granted them a truce in return for their support against the Aztecs. Cortés avoided main routes to prevent ambushes and sought allies who would join him in his campaign against the Aztecs. For three months, they navigated diverse terrains and struggled with the hot climate, discovering strange plants and animals unlike anything in Europe.
SOURCE4 A colour lithograph, created in 1892, showing Montezuma greeting Cortés in Tenochtitlan
SOURCE3 A map of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, attributed to Hernán Cortés
In November 1519, the Spaniards arrived at Tenochtitlan and found a bustling city on Lake Texcoco with around 250 000 residents. The city’s wealth came from gold, jewels and crops. Montezuma II, the Aztec emperor, welcomed Cortés, although the belief that Montezuma mistook him for the god Quetzalcoatl is unconfirmed by Cortés’ letters. Cortés took Montezuma hostage to strengthen his position, leading to an uprising that drove the Spanish out and resulted in Montezuma’s death, likely by his own people. In 1521, Cortés returned, besieged Tenochtitlan for two months, and claimed the city for Spain on 13 August, resulting in its destruction and thousands of Aztec deaths.
SkillBuilder discussion Using historical sources 1. What words or phrases help you understand how the Aztecs felt during the fall of Tenochtitlan? 2. How does this poem help us understand the impact of the Spanish conquest on the Aztec people? 3. What might be missing from this perspective?
SOURCE5 ‘Lament on the Fall of Tenochtitlan’, a poem by an anonymous Aztec poet How can we save our homes, my people? The Aztecs are deserting the city
The city is in flames and all is darkness and destruction Weep my people
Know that with these disasters We have lost the Mexican nation The water has turned bitter Our food is bitter These are the acts of the Giver of Life
134 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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