Unit 8 GEOS

Collision of Civilizations: Cortes and Pizarro

  • Aztec Empire:

    • First established as a dominant culture around 1325, when they began building Tenochtitlan.

    • By 1519, the Empire was fragile, overextended, and resented by subject peoples, facing unrest and economic troubles under Moctezuma II.

  • Early Spanish Encounters in the Region:

    • Valdivia (1511): Shipwreck, survivors captured by Mayas.

    • Córdoba (1517): Attacked by Mayas, many killed.

    • Grijalva (1518): Reached Veracruz, realized they were on a continent, not an island.

  • Hernán Cortés:

    • Born in Spain (1485), studied law, sailed to the New World (1504).

    • Helped conquer Cuba (1511), and became Mayor of Santiago before leading his Mexico expedition.

  • Cortés's Expedition to Mexico:

    • Financed his expedition with personal funds, loans, and promises of gold/land.

    • Organized 11 ships, 530 soldiers, 16 horses, cannons, and allies despite opposition from Governor Velázquez.

  • Interpreters for Cortés:

    • Aguilar: Spoke Maya.

    • Malinche: Spoke both Maya and Nahuatl.

    • Together they allowed Cortés to communicate and negotiate with native peoples.

  • Native Reactions to Spaniards:

    • Awed and fearful of Spanish weapons and horses, sometimes thinking they were gods.

    • Many resented the Aztecs and welcomed the Spaniards as allies.

  • Cortés and his Ships: Did not burn but scuttled/sank his ships to prevent retreat; some mutineers had tried to flee.

  • Encounters with Native Allies and Enemies:

    • Tlaxcala: Spaniards defeated 50,000 warriors, then gained 10,000 allies.

    • Cholula: Cortés massacred nobles for plotting an ambush.

  • Arrival in Tenochtitlan:

    • On Nov. 8,$ $1519, Moctezuma welcomed Cortés, mistaking him for the returning god Quetzalcoatl.

    • Tenochtitlan was described as a vast, advanced city.

  • "Night of Tears" (La Noche Triste):

    • June 30,$ $1520.

    • The Spanish tried to flee but were caught; 600 Spaniards and thousands of allies died, many weighed down by gold.

  • Siege of Tenochtitlan:

    • Cortés rebuilt forces at Tlaxcala.

    • In 1521, he besieged Tenochtitlan with 16,000 men, allied warriors, and 13 brigantine ships, attacking from three directions.

  • Locations of Major Empires:

    • Inca: Andes (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia).

    • Maya: Yucatán and Central America.

    • Aztec: Central Mexico.

  • Francisco Pizarro:

    • A poor, illiterate Spaniard from Extremadura.

    • Became the leader of the conquest of the Inca.

  • Inca Civil War:

    • Huayna Capac died of smallpox (1528), sparking a civil war between his sons Huascar and Atahualpa.

    • This weakened the Inca Empire before the Spanish arrived.

  • Pizarro's 1532 Expedition:

    • Had 160 men, 62 horsemen, 102 infantry.

    • Marched inland from Tumbes and at Cajamarca first met Atahualpa.

  • Pizarro's Conquest Methods: Troops subdued the Inca with guns, horses, surprise attacks, and Indian allies, despite being vastly outnumbered.

  • Atahualpa's Capture and Execution:

    • Captured at Cajamarca, offered a ransom of a room full of gold and silver.

    • Executed by Pizarro in 1533 despite paying the ransom.

  • Reasons for Spanish Quick Conquest: Disease (smallpox), advanced weapons, horses, Indian allies, and the empires' internal divisions.