Why did the Spanish wipe out the Aztecs?

The Aztecs no longer trusted Montezuma, they were short on food, and the smallpox epidemic was under way. More than 3 million Aztecs died from smallpox, and with such a severely weakened population, it was easy for the Spanish to take Tenochtitlán.

What were three reasons why the Spanish defeated the Aztecs?

The overthrow of the Aztec Empire by Cortez and his expedition rests on three factors: The fragility of that empire, the tactical advantages of Spanish technology, and smallpox.

What did the Spanish do to the Aztecs?

They introduced the Aztecs to domestic animals, sugar, grains, and European farming practices. Most significantly, the Spanish ended the Aztec's practice of human sacrifice. The Aztecs sacrificed human victims on each of their 18 annual festivities, according to the New World Encyclopedia.

When did the Spanish wipe out the Aztecs?

The Spanish campaign against the Aztec Empire had its final victory on 13 August 1521, when a coalition army of Spanish forces and native Tlaxcalan warriors led by Cortés and Xicotencatl the Younger captured the emperor Cuauhtémoc and Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.

How did the Aztecs get wiped out?

Smallpox wiped out 5-8 million Aztecs shortly after the Spanish arrived in Mexico in 1519.

The Mysterious Disease That Wiped Out the Aztecs

What led to the Aztecs downfall?

The Aztec had no immunity to European diseases. Smallpox spread among the indigenous people and crippled their ability to resist the Spanish. The disease devastated the Aztec people, greatly reducing their population and killing an estimated half of Tenochtitlán's inhabitants.

What enabled the Spanish to defeat the Aztecs?

Cortés's army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to conquer the city. Cortés's victory destroyed the Aztec empire, and the Spanish began to consolidate control over what became the colony of New Spain.

What really happened to the Aztecs?

Invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés overthrew the Aztec Empire by force and captured Tenochtitlan in 1521, bringing an end to Mesoamerica's last great native civilization.

What virus killed the Aztecs?

Smallpox took its toll on the Aztecs in several ways. First, it killed many of its victims outright, particularly infants and young children.

What did the Spanish do to the natives in Mexico?

At first, Spaniards destroyed Mexican culture(civilizations, heritage buildings). They slaughtered many natives and took lots of resources, such as silver and gold from Mexico, however, they never gave anything in return. Spain made Encomienda system and enslaved natives.

What about the Aztecs upset the Spanish?

However, during the battle, the Aztec's sacrificed many of the Spanish prisoners of war that they had held captive. This angered Cortés and caused him to order the destruction of the city and the Aztec people. Tenochtitlan was finally captured by the Spanish and Tlaxcala on August 13th, 1521.

Why did the Spanish convert the Aztecs to Christianity?

The belief that Quetzalcoatl returned was real to many of the Aztec people. Because some of the Aztecs believed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl they obeyed him and they converted to Catholicism.

What did the Spanish do to the natives?

Altered Lifestyles The Spanish altered Indian life in many ways. Their intrusion resulted in changing tribal customs and religious traditions. Tribal alliances were shifted and new rivalries were developed. Indians lost their land, their families, and their lives.

Why were the Spanish able to defeat the Aztecs and Incas?

The Spanish were able to defeat the Aztec and the Inca not only because they had horses, dogs, guns, and swords, but also because they brought with them germs that made many native Americans sick. Diseases like smallpox and measles were unknown among the natives; therefore, they had no immunity to them.

What happened to the Aztec Empire after the Spanish conquest?

By August of 1521, the glorious city of Tenochtitlan was in ruins. The Aztec lands were renamed "New Spain" and the colonization process began. Conquistadors were replaced by bureaucrats and colonial officials, and Mexico would be a Spanish colony until it began its fight for independence in 1810.

Do Aztecs still exist?

Are there any Aztecs still around? Yes and no. Nowadays, around one and a half million people still speak Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. And there are quite a few indigenous peoples who perform rituals that hark back to the Aztecs.

Did any Aztecs survive?

By the 1500s, they had not only survived, but managed to prevail, and they were taking no chances of being forced to go backwards. They used their brains and their brawn to defeat their neighbors — first the other ethnic groups in the central basic of Mexico, and then much farther afield.

How many Aztecs were wiped out?

Within five years as many as 15 million people – an estimated 80% of the population – were wiped out in an epidemic the locals named “cocoliztli”. The word means pestilence in the Aztec Nahuatl language. Its cause, however, has been questioned for nearly 500 years.

Who killed Aztecs?

Hernándo Cortés, Spanish conquistador who conquered Mexico, with Moctezuma II, last Aztec emperor, 1519.

Did Aztecs and Mayans fight?

There were Aztec garrisons on the Maya frontier, and very likely plans to attack. But then the Aztecs themselves were attacked - by the Spaniards. However, if by “the Aztecs” we can include surviving warriors from the regions of Mexico that were part of the Aztec Empire, then the answer is yes.

What did the Aztecs call Mexico?

Anahuac (meaning land surrounded by water) was the name in Nahuatl given to what is now Mexico during Pre-Hispanic times.

What did Cortés do to the Aztecs?

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.

Why did Spain want to convert natives?

The missionaries goal was to convert natives to Christianity, because diffusion of Christianity was deemed to be a requirement of the religion. Spanish Vice-royalties in America had the same structure as the Vice-Royalties in Spanish provinces.

How did the Spanish treat the people conquered?

How did the Spanish treat the peoples they conquered? Badly, forced them into "encomienda" made natives farm, ranch, or mine for Spanish landlords.

How did Spain treat slaves?

Under Spanish law, enslaved people were allowed a few more privileges and protections than the French had granted; in reality, Spanish slave owners violated most of these rights, though in some cases they were upheld.