Invasion of Mexico

Conquistadors conquerors, explored the Americas and claimed them for Spain. 1519 Hernando Corts lands in Central America Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, thought Corts had been sent by an Aztec god to rule Mexico. He sent Corts gifts of gold to get him to leave. Do you think he left?

Hernan Corts

Invasion of Mexico
Spaniards began to form alliances with tribes that hated the Aztecs. When Corts reached the Aztec capital, Montezuma greeted him with a ceremony. Corts took Montezuma captive. Aztecs revolted and surrounded Spaniards in Tenochtitlan.

Invasion of Mexico
June 30, 1520 Spaniards tried to sneek out of city but Aztecs found out and a large fight broke out.
800 Spaniards and 1000 allies died. La Noche Triste.

Spaniards regrouped and in May 1521 they marched back and recaptured Tenochtitlan. How? Smallpox had weakened the Aztecs.

The Conquest of the Incan Empire

The Inca civilization spread from the Cuzco Valley in central Peru. By 1525, they controlled a 2,000 mile territory along the Andes Mountains in South America. They possessed large amounts of silver and gold.

The Conquest of the Incan Empire

1531 Francisco Pizarro led an expedition of 180 men into Peru. The Incas were afraid that the Spaniards were gods and the Inca emperor Atahualpa ordered his people not to fight. Sound familiar? Atahualpa then went to meet the Spaniards and immediately they were attacked and thousands of Incas were killed by Pizarros men.

The Conquest of the Incan Empire

To free himself, Atahualpa gave them a treasure of goldhe was killed anyway. The Inca people, acting on their dead emperors orders, refused to harm the Spaniards. The Inca empire quickly fell after Atahualpas death.

Francisco Pizarro

Reasons for Spanish Victories

1. Spread of European diseases killed millions of Native Americans. 2. Spanish were excellent soldiers and sailors with superior weapons. 3. Spain made alliances with enemies of Aztecs and Incas. 4. Spanish conquistadors acted very brutally toward the Native Americans.