Spanish conquest

Spanish conquest

Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes and his army entered Tenochtitlan in November 1519. Emperor Montezuma II greeted him with gifts in a colorful ceremony. Many Indians believed that Cortes was Quetzalcóatl, the Aztecs' most honored god. But Cortes soon imprisoned Montezuma. The Spaniards seized large amounts of gold, destroyed a number of Aztec temples, and began to convert the people to Christianity.

In 1520, the Aztec rebelled and drove the Spaniards from the city. Montezuma died from wounds received in the fighting. Cortes reorganized his army and in May 1521 began a bloody attack on Tenochtitlan with a force of thousands of Indians and 1,000 Spaniards. By August, his troops had destroyed the city and forced the surrender of Montezuma's successor, Cuauhtemoc. Within a few months, Cortes controlled all central Mexico.

Excerpt adapted from the "Aztec" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999