The Aztec Empire dominated in a large part of Mesoamerica and was one of the mightiest nations on the American continent. The Aztecs’ capital Tenochtitlan was the biggest city in the Pre-Columbian Americas. It located on an island in Lake Texcoco that made it difficult to be captured by enemies. But in 1521 the Great Empire was ruined by the small group of Spanish conquistadors and eventually 90 percent on Aztecs – one of the most aggressive, combative and highly developed Indians – were wiped out. How did it happen?
Hernán Cortés was a highly ambitious man. He craved for conquering new lands and gaining glory. He convinced the governor of Cuba, Diego Velasquez, to organize a military expedition to Mexico. But at the last moment, Velasquez changed his mind and canceled the voyage. Cortés ignored his orders and set sail with more than 5 hundred men (Jessie Szalay). When he arrived on the continent, he burned his ships in order to prevent retreat and trained his men to act as a unit of soldiers (Jessie Szalay).
Cortés learned that the Aztecs were the most serious force in Mexico. So, he decided to subjugate them. As his army was small, he decided to ask the Aztecs’ enemies, the Tlaxcalans, for help. The assistance of these natives played an important role during the siege of the Aztec capital city Tenochtitlán (Jessie Szalay).
A great luck for Cortés was that Aztecs believed that their god Quetzalcoatl should have returned to Earth that year. So, they thought that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl as they were impressed by his white skin and the sight of men on horseback. The Indians greeted the Spaniards with great honor. Cortés managed to influence on Montezuma, the Aztecs’ leader, and ruled Tenochtitlán through him (Jessie Szalay).
Spanish soldiers brought an infection with them - smallpox. It was new to the Native Americans and they did not have immunity to it. As a result of the epidemic, more than 3 million Aztecs died from the disease (Jessie Szalay). This weakened the nation and when their patience was exhausted and they rebelled against the Spaniards, the Aztecs were not as strong as they were before. After the siege of Tenochtitlán, the rebellion was suppressed.
Works Cited
Szalay, J. “Hernán Cortés: Conqueror of the Aztecs”. livescience.com. 2013. Web. Accessed 22 February 2016 at http://www.livescience.com/39238-hernan-cortes-conqueror-of-the-aztecs.html
Dear, sister Bess!
I miss you and your little daughter Mary terribly. My life is so hard that sometimes I feel despair and only worships and thoughts of you make me stronger. I did not write to you earlier, but, please, not feel angry with me. When we arrived at the New World, the life was so dangerous, unstable and unbearably hard that I could not find time to write a letter. A lot of news has amassed by now and I am going to tell you everything.
I arrived on the continent on May 14 in 1607. The voyage was awfully long and it seemed that it would never end. But the arrival to the ground hid many dangers, we could become the target for the Indians or for the Spaniards. That is why our captain John Smith chose a secure place where the Spanish navy could not attack us. But that land was settled by Powhatan Indians and in a few days after landing, we were attacked by the Reds.
The first few weeks we were working hard on building our first wooden fort. Now we have a church, a storehouse, and a couple of houses to live in. To be able to defend against Spanish attacks, we had to build special raised platforms for cannons.
During the first two years of being here, the life was hard. It seemed that everything was against us. Nature, though fabulously beautiful, prepared a lot of ordeals for us. We could not find the way to farm the land. Hunger made us weak and we could not find strength to resist illnesses. Moreover, local Native American tribes with the Chief Powhatan exhausted us with their constant raids.
The captain John Smith saw that we could solve all our problems if we became friends of the Reds. They could teach us how to grow the harvest, how to treat illnesses and what was most important they could stop killing the Englishmen. Smith tried to do everything possible and flimsy peace was eventually set.
The natives traded corn for our metal tools, beads, and some other objects, so the starvation ended. For a while. The Indians’ friend Smith left us, and we had to live through the harsh and long winter almost without food. More than a hundred of us died. Only in 1611 we managed to harvest enough crop of corn ourselves.
All the difficulties are over. The life is much easier now. I am waiting for you. This lavish land will make you rich. Since John Rolfe married the daughter of Chief Powhatan - Pocahontas, we have not been fighting with the Reds. We are growing a new type of tobacco that is picked by the African slaves. This is the world of new opportunities, do not miss the chance to change your life for the better.
Write me back about you and your kid. How is your dear husband Mr. Adamson? I hope he cares of you well. God bless you!
Take care of yourself,
1 October 1619
