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The Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most momentous developments of the sixteenth century. The Spanish victory set into motion a process in which European powers increasingly looked to the Americas as a quick and easy source of plunder and riches. Over the next several centuries Native American cultures were systematically overrun and, for all intentional purposes, destroyed. Explore this event through the use of maps, paintings and engravings, contemporary accounts and historical analyses. How did a small group of Spaniards manage to conquer the powerful Aztec Empire so swiftly?
Documents
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Find out about the political, economic, social, and religious structure of the Aztec Empire at Document 1. How had the Aztecs created such a vast empire and how did the rule it? |
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How did the Spanish first encounter the Aztec Empire? Find out at Document 2. |
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For Hernando Cortes version of this early encounter read Document 3. How does Cortes describe Moctezuma II? |
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How did Cortes forces overcome the Aztecs? For an overview, see Document 4. |
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For an account from the Aztecs' perspective see Document 5.
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Images
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To locate the domains of the Aztec Empire see the map at Image 1. |
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For insight into the sophisticated work of Aztec artisans see Images 2. |
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For some other views of Aztec culture, go to Images 3. |
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For an imprint of an Aztec human sacrifice see Image 4. |
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To see a Spanish rendition of Tenochtitlan, see Image 5. |
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For a map of Cortes' expedition see Image 6 and Image 7. |
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A century later, a European artist depicted Moctezuma II as see in Image 8. How realistic is this portrayal? |
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For scenes from the conqest, see Images 9. |
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