Leaders
Who lead the Spanish against the Aztecs
Cortes
What was Cortes main motivation for travelling to Mexico
To get gold
What did the Spanish due right after conquering the Aztecs?
Destroyed Tenochtitlan and replaced it with Mexico City.
Imposed Spanish rule, religion, and culture; enslaved or forced Aztecs into labor.
Define indigenous people
Groups who were the original inhabitants of the land, each with its own distinct identity
What major things changed in the Aztec world view after the Spanish took over?
Who was the leader of the Aztec
Moctezuma
Name the steps of the conquistador formula
1. An expedition would set out from Spain or a recent colony (ex. Hispaniola).
2. After landing in a new region, the Spanish would try to meet peacefully with the first group they encountered. The aim was to determine which group was the most powerful.
3. The Spanish would invite the leader of the most powerful group to meet and exchange gifts. They would seize the leader and threaten to kill him unless his people obeyed Spanish orders
4. If they had to fight, the Spanish would do out in the open. Their horses, armour and weapons gave them a huge advantage.
5. The leader of the expedition would remain as governor of the new colony, and his second-in-command would organize the next mission. The Indigenous people would be forced into slavery.
What is a conquistador
The word that the Spanish used to describe the leader of an expedition to colonize other lands
Define Nahuatl
The language spoken by the Aztecs
How did the hierarchy change?
Spanish at the top, Aztec rulers and nobels demoted, indigenous people forced into slavery
What Spanish controlled island did Cortes land on
Hispaniola
What are the factors that helped the Spanish defeat the Aztecs
What does Franciscan mean
Priests that vowed to live in the poorest conditions, never get married, and always obey their superiors without question.
Define Viceroy
A royal representative
Why did the Indigenous help the Spanish?
Why did Moctezuma allow Spain to enter Tenochtitlan
He feared they were connected to a returning god
Why were the Aztec at a disadvantage when fighting Spain
Define Econmienda
A Spanish system that gave Spanish settlers land grants when they arrived in a colony.
Define Mestizo
A mixed race, children born with Spanish and Aztec heritage.
What two policies or systems did Cortes put in place?
Ecomidenda system, converted people, the marriage law
What was the aim of the conquistador formula
to ensure Spain took over peacefully if possibly but violently if necessary
What happened that led to the fall of Tenochtitlan?
Cortés placed Moctezuma under house arrest, causing tension with the Aztecs.
Spanish demanded gold and treasures, leading to rebellion.
Fighting broke out; Moctezuma died.
Spanish retreated but regrouped, allied with other Indigenous groups.
They launched a final attack, used superior weapons and strategy.
Tenochtitlan was destroyed; the Aztec Empire fell.
define intermediary
Someone who acts as a go-between or mediator between two people or groups of people
Define muskets
Long rifle-like guns that were fired from the shoulder
How did Spanish taking over change Aztec world view?
European religion, culture, authority, replaced Aztec beliefs