Adobe Scan Nov 15, 2024

Overview of the Spanish Conquest

• Document Source: The Florentine Codex by Bernardino de Sahagún.

• Historical context: Describes the first approach of Cortés' forces to Tenochtitlan decades after the Spanish conquest.

Preparation for War

• Troops prepared to enter Tenochtitlan:

  • Soldiers dressed and equipped for battle.

  • Battle gear tied tightly to themselves and their horses.

  • Arrangement in rows, files, and ranks.

• Initial advance:

  • Four horsemen led the advance, staying ahead of the troops.

  • Dogs were part of the advance, sniffing the ground.

Composition of Forces

• Groups in the contingent:

  • First Group: Armed with iron swords, bare and gleaming.

  • Second Group: Horses carrying soldiers with leather shields, iron lances, and swords.

    • Horses adorned with bells that jingled or rattled.

  • Third Group: Crossbowmen equipped with crossbows, quivers of arrows, and iron bolts.

  • Fourth Group: Harquebusers (early gunmen) firing their weapons in the great palace.

    • Their weapons created noise and plumes of smoke, darkening the air.

Additional Troops

• Additional forces from the Tlaxcalans and other communities:

  • Included those from Tuuhquitepec and Huelotzinc, outfitted for war.

  • Some carried supplies, while others dragged large cannons on wooden wheels, making noise as they advanced.