Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in the 1520s. As an ambitious conquistador, he defied orders from the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, by destroying his ships and allying with weaker indigenous groups like the Tlaxcalans against the powerful Aztec Empire. Through the help of an indigenous translator named Malinche and by taking advantage of an Aztec prophecy, Cortés was able to convince the Aztec ruler Montezuma that he was the returned god Quetzalcoatl and seize control of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Smallpox then ravaged the population, aiding the Spanish conquest. However, Cortés was later called to

1. HernHernán Cortán Cortééss
El conquistador del imperio azteco

2. King Charles VKing Charles V
 In the 1500s Spain was a
monarchy, which means
they had a King or Queen
who governed the country.
 Thus all the Spanish-
controlled colonies in
New World were under
the control of the Spanish
King, Charles V.
 He operated through the
Governors in the new
colonies that he appointed
to do his bidding.

3. SpainSpain

4. HernHernán Cortán Cortééss
 Cortez was born in
Medellín, España in
1485.
 Upon hearing the
insane tales of the
New World from the
crew of Columbus he
decided to pursue the
treasures of the newly
discovered America.

5. The legend of El DoradoThe legend of El Dorado
 The crewmen told stories
of beautiful, tropical
foreign lands with
plentiful fruits and easily
enslaveable people.
 However, the most
enchanting tales for the
young Cortez were those
of the plentiful gold in the
New World.
 El Dorado means “the
golden one” in Spanish,
and signifies a mythic
Indian city of gold.

6. EspaEspañaña

7. Diego VelDiego Velásquezásquez
 Shortly he was contracted
by the Governor of
Hispañola, Diego
Velásquez, to fight an
Indian uprising near the
Spanish colony.
 He was awarded an
encomienda after
efficiently slaughtering a
Native uprising in what is
now the Dominican
Republic.
Diego Velásquez

9. La encomiendaLa encomienda
 La encomienda was a
system similar to
feudalism of Mid-Evil
times in Europe.
 Under la encomienda
system, peasant slaves
worked for the wealthy
King or landowner.
 Spaniards made the local
people pay a tax in gold or
in slave labor every three
months or else they were
punished severely.

10. Indigenous Resistance toIndigenous Resistance to
Spanish RuleSpanish Rule
 The Spaniards profited
immensely from the
situation while the Native
people were made into
slaves.
 The results on the natives
were usually revolt,
suicide, emigration or they
were killed for non-
compliance.

11. La sistema de la encomiendaLa sistema de la encomienda

12. Slaves in the New WorldSlaves in the New World

13. New World PoliticsNew World Politics
 As a result of the
successful slaughter of
the Native people,
Cortez would receive a
promotion in the
Spanish army would
and eventually help
conquer what is now
modern day Cuba.

15. ReconnaissanceReconnaissance
 Velásquez sent out
reconnaissance
missions to the
mainland to find future
colony sites for the
expanding Spanish
Empire.

16. ReconnaissanceReconnaissance
 Word comes back to Governor Velásquez that the
mainland (Mexico) has a much more advanced
and prosperous civilization than that of the
Caribbean Indians.
 Rumors of a great civilization inland entice the
conquistadors with gold, but frighten them
because of their religious practices of human
sacrifice.
 Governor Velásquez sends Cortez to further
explore the area and bring back proof of an
advanced and prosperous civilization that would
make Charles V happy.

17. Bon VoyageBon Voyage
 Cortez sails with 11
ships, 110 sailors, 570
soldiers, 250 Indian
slaves and supplies
from Cuba to what is
now mainland Mexico.
 He arrives and
“founds” the city of
Vera Cruz.

18. Fleet lands in Mexico,1519Fleet lands in Mexico,1519

19. Cortez Changes PlansCortez Changes Plans
 Cortez, being the greedy and ambitious
conquistador that he is, arrives to Mexico and
declares himself leader, independent of
Velasquez’s authority.
 He quickly destroys all the ships but one, thus
forcing everyone to go with him and preventing
desertion.
 The army then proceeds to communicate with the
natives to find out where this wealthy civilization
is so that they may conquer it.

20. MalincheMalinche

21. MalincheMalinche
 Malinche was an
Indigenous woman who
could speak both the
Nahuatal and Mayan
languages.
 She became the translator
for Cortez in his mission
to conquer Mexico.
 She was baptized by
Cortez as Doña Marina.

22. QuetzalcoatlQuetzalcoatl
 Malinche tells Cortez
of the legend of
Quetzalcoatl.
 Aztec prophecy said
that the white skinned
and bearded God
Quetzalcoatl would
return to Tenochitlan
and regain his thrown
one day.

23. Cortez and Indigenous PoliticsCortez and Indigenous Politics
 Malinche tells Cortez of the Aztecs, the most
powerful civilization of Central America.
 However, the most powerful civilization is sure to
have many enemies.
 Thus Cortez begins allying himself and politicking
with the weaker tribes to gain support for an
assault on Tenochitlan, the capital city of the
Aztec Empire.

24. Indigenous AlliancesIndigenous Alliances
Cortez befriends some of the enemies of the
Aztecs, the Tlaxcaltecas.
The Aztecs had conquered the Tlaxcaltecas
and were taxing them.
Thus the Spanish and the Tlaxcaltecas and
the Spaniards join forces for an assault on
the Aztecs in their capital city, Tenochitlan.

25. The return of QuetzalquatlThe return of Quetzalquatl
 Hearing of light-skinned
bearded men, Montezuma
sends gifts of gold to the
Spanish troops.
 Montezuma believed that
Quetzalquatl could return
to regain his thrown and
he wanted to treat him
with the utmost respect
and graciousness.

26. Gifts to CortezGifts to Cortez

27. Map of the Aztec EmpireMap of the Aztec Empire

28. TenochitlanTenochitlan

29. Montezuma, Ruler of theMontezuma, Ruler of the
Aztec PeopleAztec People

30. The Arrival of CortezThe Arrival of Cortez

31. Cortez and MontezumaCortez and Montezuma

32. Cortez and MontezumaCortez and Montezuma
 Because of the Aztec
Prophecy of
Quetzalcoatl,
Montezuma hands the
thrown over to Cortez,
believing him to be the
God Quetzalcoatl.
 Cortez cordially
accepts the thrown of
the Aztec Empire, but
quickly must leave to
fight his own people,
the Spanish.

33. Pesky VelasquezPesky Velasquez
 Upon hearing the Cortez
had renounced his
authority, Velasquez sends
18 ships and 1300 men to
kill the rebel Cortez in
Mexico for not following
orders.
 Thus the new ruler of the
Aztec Empire must leave
Tenochitlán to fight the
oncoming battle from
Cortez.

34. Cortez the Smooth TalkerCortez the Smooth Talker
 Cortez meets the
oncoming Spanish
army sent by
Velasquez and easily
convinces them to join
him in his scheme in
Tenochitlan.
 They accept and
quickly return to the
Aztec capital.

35. While you were away….While you were away….
 In Cortez’ absence, his
men slaughtered and
tortured a few Aztecs
and caused rampant
hatred for them among
the locals.
 Thus Cortez and his
men were forced to
retreat from the city
and regroup.

36. SmallpoxSmallpox
 The Spanish do
retreat, but leave an
unknown plague upon
the Aztec people:
smallpox.
 The disease begins to
ravage the city killing
an estimated 9 out of
every ten people.

37. Cortez the ConquerorCortez the Conqueror
When Cortez and his army ofiIndigenous
ally soldiers return, they can smell
Tenochitlán before they can see it from the
rotting bodies from the outbreak of
smallpox.
They easily conquer the city and Cortez
becomes the ruler of the largest city in the
Spanish Empire.

38. Attack on TenochitlanAttack on Tenochitlan

39. Cortez Is Called to Spain byCortez Is Called to Spain by
King Carlos VKing Carlos V
 Despite his success
crushing the Atzec
capital of Tenochitlán,
Cortez must return to
Spain to appear in
Spanish Royal Court
because of his
rebellion against
Velasquez.
 His power in Mexico
is never the same.

40. Death of the Greatest of AllDeath of the Greatest of All
ConquistadorsConquistadors
 Cortez dies in Spain in
1547, having lost all
influence in his
accomplishments.