Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections The New World: Accidental Empire

The New World: Accidental Empire

• Spanish explorers found great wealth in the Aztec and Inca Empires

• Hernando Cortés: landed on the coast of Mexico in 1519 - sought to exploit the Aztec Empire of their gold and spices

  • Neighboring states were willing to help Sthe panish conquer Aztecs as they had taken over a lot of the neighboring communities - or those who didn’t cooperate were forced or killed

  • Became very hungry for wealth and quickly seized Montezuma and began a siege of Tenochtitlan