Primary sources are often quoted or paraphrased to bring the. Moctezuma and cortes stanford history education group. Explorer timeline a conquistador comes of age a new world calls a battle of wills. In 1519, the spaniards under the leadership of hernan cortes reached the aztec empire.
Motecuhzoma article about motecuhzoma by the free dictionary. Walters 1859 crosssection drawing of the new dome constructed 18551863 shows a recessed belt atop the rotunda walls with relief sculpture. Make educational timelines or create a timeline for your company website. During his reign, the aztec empire reached its largest size. The frieze in the rotunda of the united states capitol contains a painted panorama depicting significant events in american history. The major civilization in the region was the aztecs under the control of montezuma ii cortes landed in present day veracruz, and started his three month journey to the capitol, tenochtitlanthinking he was. Montezuma ii himself was taken as a hostage by the notorious spanish conquistador hernan cortes in 1519. Oct 29, 2014 this video screencast was created with doceri on an ipad. Many are familiar with the popular tale of the meeting between emperor moctezuma and conquistador hernan cortes. In the days that followed, cortes and his men marvelled at the treasures of tenochtitlan the strange foods, the wondrous artefacts and were horrified by. The relationship between cortes and montezuma started to deteriorate, as montezuma faces a possible enemy and cortes no longer has the strategical advantages of being considered a god.
He is sometimes called montezuma ii to distinguish him from montezuma i ruled 14. Steven spielberg may direct montezumacortes film starring. In a departure from traditional tellings, when montezuma met cortes uses the meetingas restall dubs their first encounteras the entry point into a comprehensive reevaluation of both cortes and montezuma. It was striking to see some of the mexica strike at the conquistadors, and completely fail not only because of their fear. Montezuma is killed, and the spanish are driven out of the city. The robinson library american history mexico history.
Free history tutorial hernando cortes and the aztec. Cortes and montezuma by donald barthelme because cortes lands on a day specified in the ancient writings, because he is dressed in black, because his armor is silver in color, a certain ugliness of the strangers taken as a groupfor these reasons, montezuma considers cortes to be quetzalcoatl, the great god who left mexico many years before, on a raft of snakes, vowing to return. Cortes takes over the aztec empire with montezuma dead, cortes took over the aztecs capital city. It is the case of the victor writing the history, and cortes letter was the basis for it. Hernan cortes was an explorer who eventually defeated the aztec people and brought mexico under spanish rule.
Montezuma is injured while pleading with his people for calm. Cortes was not the brilliant, courageous, visionary, worldstriding conqueror he has long been presented as. Therefore, montezuma became suspicious of the spanish mens every actions and particularly cortes. The spaniards and their allies flee tenochtitlan on the night of tears. Cortes and montezuma by donald barthelme because cortes lands on a day specified in the ancient writings, because he is dressed in black, because his armor is silver in color, a certain ugliness of the. Cortes develops the land cortes worked to develop farms throughout new spain, or mexico. For centuries scholars have puzzled over the man what he thought, what drove him, why he made the decisions he did. Cortes met montezuma in 1519 and earlier meetings began on a friendly note but soon the aztec and spaniards were pitted against each. Montezuma fortune always favors the bold the legacy of conquest a dark and tangled legacy. When montezuma couldnt get the aztecs to accept cortes as their leader, cortes had montezuma killed. Opinions vary from him being stabbed by cortes when he was found useless to the spanish conquest, to being killed by a rock thrown by one of his own people. Even more interesting is restalls view of emperor montezuma, whom history has called a coward. Very little is known about the life of the 9th emperor of the. Montezuma was not a blithering, cowardly, effeminate loser.
This brief biography takes you through his life story from. As it goes, moctezuma mistook the spanish invaders for gods, thereby setting the. Cortes didnt trust the people, though, and he took montezuma hostage. The persons of hernando cortes and montezuma ii are often viewed and compared in this struggle. Timetoasts free timeline maker lets you create timelines online. The relationship between cortes and montezuma started to deteriorate, as montezuma faces a. By april 1520 when montezuma went back to ruling the empire the spaniards had something else in mind. In 1519, a 34year old soldier with little military experience named hernan cortes defeated the aztec empire with only 500 men. The major civilization in the region was the aztecs under the control of montezuma ii cortes landed in present day veracruz, and started his three month journey to the capitol, tenochtitlanthinking he was a god, they welcomed him cortes had other intentions, so he captured montezuma iiapril 1520, velazquez sent men to capture cortes the. This course will survey in some depth the collision of the spanish conquistadors with the mexica civilization under montezuma ii. Montezuma is a script that multiple oscarwinner dalton trumbo author of johnny got his gun and writer of spartacus among other iconic novelsfilms completed in 1965 11 years before his death. The life of moctezuma ii timeline timetoast timelines.
Very little is known about the life of the 9th emperor of the aztecs, except that he was known as motecuhzoma xocoyotzin by the aztecs montezuma being a western spelling and ii being a way to distinguish this emperor from a previous one of the same name. Cortes himself used the form hernando or fernando for his first name, as seen in his signature and. Although wary of cortes, montezuma sent emissaries with lavish gifts to the spanish in a cautious game of. It was striking to see some of the mexica strike at the conquistadors, and completely fail not only because of their fear of horses and guns, but simply because the spaniards had metal armor and swords, something their wood and stone warfare couldnt penetrate. Montezuma ii and the relationship between him and cortes. Hernan cortes was a spanish conquistador who explored central america, overthrew montezuma and his vast aztec empire and won mexico.
Cortez and montezuma at mexican temple architect of the capitol. A dramatic rethinking of the encounter between montezuma and hernando cortes that completely overturns what we know about the spanish conquest of the americas. On november 8, 1519, the spanish conquistador hernando cortes first met montezuma, the aztec emperor, at the entrance to the capital city of tenochtitlan. After montezuma died of murder at 54 years old mostly all aztecs flead. Primary sources are often quoted or paraphrased to bring the students into the spirit of the times. Eventually it was painted in true fresco, a difficult and exacting technique in which the pigments are. Montezuma ii is the namesake of montezuma s revenge, a form of diarrhea that arises when a tourist consumes a food that heshe does not often eat. At the time of writing, he and his men were guests of montezuma and nowhere near subduing this highly civilized people. I was really intrigued about how the aztecs thought hernan cortes was the god quetzalcoatl. Motecuhzoma ii reigns as leader of the aztec empire. To navigate the timeline, click and drag it with your mouse, or click on the timeline overview on the bottom. As it goes, moctezuma mistook the spanish invaders for gods, thereby setting the stage for the conquest of the aztec empire. Cortes defeats narvaez at the battle of cempoala and adds his men and supplies to his own. Cortes on meeting moctezuma from cortes, second letter, 8589 the spaniards arrive at tenochtitlan, the great city constructed on an island in lake texcoco.
Herdando hernan cortes was a spanish conquistador that was largely responsible for the fall of the aztec empire and the subsequent. The conquistadors is a fourpart series airing on pbs in spring 2001. Now there are not nearly as many aztecs as there was and most of them left after montezuma died. The true story begins when cortes begins to move to make contact with montezuma. Less than a week later, he seizes the aztec ruler and takes control of the city. Montezuma fortune always favors the bold the legacy of conquest a dark and tangled legacy chapter notes glossary further reading and internet addresses. Cortez is a local commercial center, competing with durango in the east, and farmington, new mexico in the south, and draws trade from southeastern utah, the extreme northeastern corner of arizona, the shiprock area of northwestern new mexico, and san miquel, dolores, montezuma, and parts of laplata county in colorado. While this may seem foolish to modern man, their mistaken identification was actually supported by a lot of information.
Download this game from microsoft store for windows 10 mobile, windows phone 8. Discover facts about hernando cortes the spanish conquistador who conquered the aztec empire. The artillery, the ships, and especially the horses awed the natives. Cortez is a local commercial center, competing with durango in the east, and farmington, new mexico in the south, and draws trade from southeastern utah, the extreme northeastern corner of arizona, the. Cortes returns to find tenochtitlan in a state of uproar. What do we really know about moctezuma ii also called montezuma, the aztec emperor who met hernan cortes and saw the start of an incredible clash of civilizations. Montezuma very graciously welcomed cortes to his city, and cortes answered with great respect, adding many thanks for all the mexicans gifts. Cortes captures the ruler of the aztecs, montezuma. Conquest is a gigantic book about montezuma, cortes and the fall of old mexico, as it states in the title. As montezuma approached, cortes threw his reins to a page and dismounted, and with a few of his chief men went forward to meet the emperor. Cortes takes montezuma hostage the aztec people tried to appease cortes by giving him gold and other treasures. Jan 30, 2018 at the time of writing, he and his men were guests of montezuma and nowhere near subduing this highly civilized people. A temple caught fire and burned to the ground, and a ball of fire streaked across the sky.
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