The Spanish Conquest - Hernan Cortez and the Fall of the Aztec Empire

The Ten Minute Time Machine

The Spanish conquistadors were key figures in the expansion of European power into the Americas during the 15th and 16th centuries, symbolizing both the violence and ambition of this period. Emerging from Spain’s lower nobility, these soldiers and explorers sought wealth, land, and prestige in the New World. The Reconquista, culminating in 1492 with the capture of Granada, and Christopher Columbus’s voyages set the stage for their exploits. Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella viewed the Americas as an opportunity to expand their empire, filling their coffers with gold and resources, while the conquistadors, driven by personal ambition and religious zeal, executed this imperial vision.

Hernán Cortés is one of the most prominent conquistadors, known for his conquest of the Aztec Empire. Born in 1485, Cortés left Spain for the Caribbean in 1504, eventually rising in prominence through expeditions in Cuba. In 1519, against the wishes of Cuban governor Diego Velázquez, Cortés led an unauthorized expedition to Mexico, landing on the Yucatán Peninsula. He leveraged alliances with indigenous groups like the Tlaxcalans, who resented Aztec domination, to successfully wage a campaign against the Aztecs. The Spanish viewed the indigenous people and their religious practices as pagan, which fueled their desire to convert and conquer them. Cortés’s alliance with the Tlaxcalans, who opposed the Aztecs, played a crucial role in the fall of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, in 1521.

Cortés’s conquest was brutal, marked by massacres, enslavement, and the forced conversion of indigenous populations. Diseases brought by the Europeans, such as smallpox, decimated native populations, further aiding the Spanish. While some, like Bartolomé de las Casas, advocated for more humane treatment of indigenous people, many conquistadors were ruthless in their methods.

La Malinche, an indigenous woman who served as Cortés’s interpreter, advisor, and intermediary, played a pivotal role in the conquest. Her knowledge of Nahuatl and Maya languages allowed Cortés to communicate with local groups and navigate complex political dynamics. While some view her as a traitor, others see her as a survivor who secured her place in history by playing a key role in the conquest.

The Tlaxcalans were instrumental in Cortés’s success, driven by a desire to overthrow the Aztec Empire. Their strategic alliance with the Spanish gave them an advantage over the Aztecs, and they were rewarded with certain privileges under Spanish rule, unlike other indigenous groups who were subjected to the encomienda system—a form of labor exploitation.

Religion played a central role in the conquest, with the Spanish Crown and Catholic Church seeking to spread Christianity. The Church established missions to convert indigenous people, although the methods of evangelization varied, with some missionaries advocating for more humane treatment.

The legacy of the conquistadors is complex. They expanded European knowledge and established the vast Spanish Empire, bringing wealth and power to Spain. However, their actions led to the destruction of advanced indigenous civilizations, the exploitation and suffering of native peoples, and the introduction of European diseases that caused widespread death. The social, economic, and cultural impacts of Spanish conquest have echoed through centuries, shaping Latin American societies long after the fall of the Spanish Empire.