The Fall of Tenochtitlan

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The Fall of Tenochtitlan
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Aztec Civilization

• Descendents of the Toltecs
• Legend of Huitzilopochtli (their God)
• Promised Land place where an eagle landed on a
  cactus while eating a snake
• Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan (meaning "Place of
  the Nopal Cactus")

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• Tenochtitlan
• Mexican Flag

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• Huitzilopochtli war god
• Human sacrifice of neighboring tribes (rip out
  human hearts, cannibalism of brave warriors)
• Quetzalcoatl brother of Huitzilopochtli, was to
  return (white god)

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Cortes

• Hernan Cortes (1519) sent to Mexico from
  governor of Cuba, search for lost expedition
• Hears of the wealthy land of Moctezuma (Aztec
  king) ..changes his mission!
• Sinks ships so men cannot turn back
• Cortess supplies500 soldiers, 16 horses, some
  guns

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Moctezuma

• Hears of Cortes arrival
• "Our lord and king, forgive my boldness. When I
  went to the shores of the great sea, there was a
  mountain range or small mountain floating in the
  midst of the water, moving here and there without
  touching the shore."
• "It is true that strange people have come to the
  shores of the great sea. They have very light
  skin, much lighter than ours. They all have
  beards, and their hair is fair and comes only to
  their ears."

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• Other omens comets, strange weather
• Moctezuma believes Quetzalcoatl (white god) is
  returning
• Sends gifts Gold!
• Cortes takes Moctezuma prisoner
• Also received help from enemies of Aztecs,
  Malintzin interpreter

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• Governor of Cuba sends officials to stop Cortes,
  Cortes marches back to coast and defeats them
• While Cortes is away..Aztecs rebel, take back
  city
• Moctezuma dies (thought to be accidental)
• Outnumbered Spanish take many losses

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• Cortes gathers Indian soldiers (enemies of
  Aztecs)
• Attacks city with canoes
• Cortes has guns and cannons
• Spanish build a
• portable Bridge
• Other Aztec communities fall
• Illnesses (small pox)

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Francisco Pizarro

• Spanish officer (arrested Balboa)
• Heard of gold in Andes Mountains
• 1531 lands in Peru,
• reaches Inca empire

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• Inca had been weakened by small pox
• Involved in civil war
• Pizarro invites ruler Atahuallpa to dinner and
  kidnaps him
• Offer gold and silver as ransom
• Pizarro kills him anyhow
• Joins forces with enemies to conquer empire