Mainland Mesoamerica, c. 1519

• on the mainland, large densely populated native societies had:

  • extensive agriculture

  • written languages

  • large city-states and empires

  • mineral wealth

• largest power: the triple alliance (Aztecs)

  • 5 million people

  • 400,500 vassal kingdoms and city states

Mexico Tenochtitlan

• capital was here

• 200,000+ people

• 70,000 buildings on artificial islands

The Spanish (and native) Conquest of Mexico Tenochtitlan

• hernan cortes and 500 spanish soldiers land in Yucatan, 1519

• several factors enable cortes to defeat Mexico, tenchtitlan

  • political scheming

  • thousands of native allies

  • a smallpox epidemic

  • spanish military tech

• spanish and native allies

• gradually take over the Aztecs former empire and beyond

• viceroyalty of new spain

  • a hybrid native and spanish society/culture

  • native tribute and labor create immense wealth for spain