2. Azteca
• The French, Portuguese, English and Dutch justified pirating
from Spanish fleets by the Black Legend, that the Spanish
treated the natives with the most cruelty and brutal force
• While not entirely true, as all nations treated the Indians
poorly, the Spanish made allies with those who were
oppressed by the Aztec
• In 1521, Cortes conquered Tinochitlan with both Spanish and
Indian soldiers
• Cortes’ force was only 600 men and 13 guns, but using
alliances he toppled an empire in less than 2 years
3. Conquistadors
• Francisco Pizarro brought only 180 men with him to
Peru, to topple the Inca
• Spanish technology also included Horses and War
Dogs, both new and horrifying to the natives
• As well, the Spanish used disease to overthrow,
although not always intentionally dealt
• Spanish law of conquest held that a “just war” must
be fought; reading in Spanish the Requerimiento,
announcing all deaths are the fault of those who
fight and not the monarch or soldier or conqueror
