This document discusses the role of native Mesoamerican peoples in assisting the Spanish conquistadors during the 16th century conquest of Mexico and other parts of Mesoamerica. It notes that the Spanish forces were often outnumbered by their native allies and depended on local support for food, porters, and additional soldiers drawn from cities like Tlaxcala. Numbers of native warriors participating ranged from thousands to tens of thousands. The document also references the presence of black and mixed-race soldiers in Spanish campaigns, and how Mesoamerican warriors also suffered and participated in later conquests of other regions like Peru and the Andes.

1. B Y H E A T H E R R O C C A
Indian Conquistadors

2.  17th painting of the kislak conquest of
Mexico series, created around the 1680’s,
shows an epic battle between Spanish
troops & Mexica defenders
 In the 20th century, religious explanations
faded in popularity in favor of more secular
ones, while emphasis an “great men” was
largely replaced by one on structures &
patterns
 “Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest”
presented “myths” that are deeply rooted to
persist in some form or another to this day
dg

3.  The full extent & nature of native support
& influence during the decades of Spanish
military activity in Mesoamerica,
beginning in 1519 & stretching through the
16th century
 Even before the Spanish-Mexica war
begun, when the invaders were still in the
Cempoala region, Cortes & his company
were outnumbered five to one by an allied
native force of two thousand soldiers.
 Calculations of numbers are also
complicated by the fact that armies are
often described in terms of captins, these
captins were in charge of units that the
Spaniards termed cuadrillas, Squadrons
that consisted of people from the
community of origin of each particular
captin.
 200-400 Soldiers in each cuadrilla

4.  All Spaniards participating in the process
of exploration, discovery, conquest, &
colonization in the Americas were required
to submit reports to royal officials that
were detailed about what they have found
& done
 During the 2nd half of the 16th century,
various groups sent letters claiming rights
& privileges based on their participation in
the conquest
 A 1547 letter from Tlaxcala refers to a
thousand men going on an Guatemalan
Campaign, but in an 1567 letter, 20,000
Tlaxcalteca is given for all the soldiers
provided by Tlaxcala for Spanish conquests
throughout Mesoamerica
 Mesoamerica conquistadors spoke of the
sufferings & heartbreaks of war as much as
their Spanish counterparts did
 As Spaniards discovered Peru a decade
after they found Mesoamerica, warriors
ended up fighting in the Andes
 The Maya brought by Alvarado to the
Andes were surely not the only
Mesoamericans to die on Spanish ships in
the Pacific Ocean
 Black & free colored soldiers were a
ubiquitous presence on Spanish campaigns
of conquest and networks of colonial
defense

5. European Side The Sad Night (below)
 On the European side of the Atlantic,
the Spanish a& other continental
soldiers were increasingly part of
complex, large, & organized armies
dependent on a vast supply & support
network
 Large numbers of porters were
important for the success of any
military undertaking in Mesoamerica,
without them, the conquistadors had to
carry everything themselves