2.  Amazing Conqueror Cortes:
› He is known for taking the Aztec Empire
› Wrote many reports which all conquistadors did. His
agenda was to give as much credit to himself to gain
land, money, and rewards from the crown.
› His Probanzas are the best known because they were
published while many others ignored
› His techniques were used by many explorers in Africa and
are not unique or special such as : gaining native allies,
interpreters, using terror, and taking leaders hostage, and
killing them.
› Cortes is not an exceptional man but just applied other
explorer’s tactics to conquer

3.  Spain never sent an army to conquer the
Americas
 These men were armed entreprenures who
went to find wealth
 They were not trained nor paid to go
 Some had some experience while others
had none
 Most were illiterate and in their 20’s
 Conquering took years to accomplish and
mostly never complete

4.  The Spanish brought only about 100 men on
an expedition but mostly the conquering
was done by natives themselves.
 Usually about 200 Spanish + 6,000 natives
 Aztec Empire had many enemies and these
natives were willing to negotiate with the
Spanish to fight the Aztecs
 Natives were not tools, nor passive but
acted to gain power, wealth, ect
 Natives bailed the Spanish out many times
when death was upon them

5.  Conquistadors would usually tell Crown
that conquering was complete in certain
areas which were completely false
 There were many revolts and rebellions
against the Spanish
 Many Native leaders compromised to
avoid war. They did not submit or
consider being conquered
 Some areas never conquered until after
the Spanish Colonial Period

6.  Spanish dependent of Interpreters to communicate
 Much of this communication was misinterpreted
 Cortes believed that Montezuma simply gave him his
kingdom but was unaware that Montezuma was
speaking in Lordly Speech which is not literal
 Conquistadors wrote to the Crown about speaking
with Native leaders without giving credit to
interpreters.
 Belief that Spanish Language superior than Native
languages and caused fall of Empires (which was
actually done by epidemics)

7.  Idea that Indians were peaceful, innocent
people who did not use the land, and lived
short brutish lives
 These people could not handle the European
invasion
 They were also primitive with no forms of
government, hierarchy, and culture. Also easily
malleable and childlike
 Reality is that natives adapted to the changes
by the Spanish and resisted it as well.
 Many fled to non conquered peoples while
others prospered and used the Spanish to their
advantage

8.  Spanish Belief:
› 1) Divine Intervention: God wanted to Christianize these people
› 2) Conquest was Natives own fault: stalled because they believed
Spanish were Gods, and leaders were weak
› 3) Natives inadequate to fend off invasion: Due to native inferiority,
lack of culture, and superstitious
› 4) Superior Spanish language
› 5) Superiority of Weaponry
 Real Reasons why:
› 1) Disease: Epidemics wiped out large amounts of the population. 90% of native
population died in first 150 years of contact.
› 2) Native Disunity: Natives were not unified and most unification based locally. There was
never a sense of nationhood. Many groups sided with Spanish to gain territory and defeat
enemies.
› 3) Weaponry: Very minimal but the Steel Sword was very effective against native warriors.
Guns practically useless and horses used mininally.
Without the first two reasons the Spanish Conquering of the Aztec and Inca Empires would not
of happened