The spanish invasion of the aztecs

Cortes sails for mexico from cuba

Feb 5, 1519

This was im portant becasue it showed cortes determination to explore mexico.

tlaxcalans attack the spanish

Aug 17, 1519

Cortes was able to hold them off with their guns. The Tlaxcalans were enemies of the aztecs but they didnt want to be under spanish control.

tlaxcalans form an alliance with the spanish

Aug 18, 1519

joined to defeate the aztecs.

moctezuma and cortes meet for the first time

Nov 8, 1519

cortes was determind to conquor the empire for his king, his god and for richs no matter how many live were lost

cortes take moctezuma hostage

Nov 17, 1519

Cortes waited for the oppertunity to take capture of moctezuma. he did this about a week after his arival and following this evant he repraced large idols in the temples with ithe cross of the catholic church

The spanich massacured thousands of aztecs while preparing for their religous ceremony.

May 8, 1520

aztecs began preparations for their main annual festival honorring their god huitzilopochtli. many preists and warriors and nobles gathered at the courtyard of the main temple. alvarado and his men surrounded the courtyard and killed all the unarmed worshippers.

the spanish retreat after the aztecs gather arms

May 8, 1520

The aztecs were outraged at the killing of there priests and nobles. the aztecs fought so ferociously that the spanish had to retreat.

moctezuma dies

May 27, 1520

cortes returned to tenochtitlan. his men were trapped but cortes managed to reach the palace where they were staying. cortes ordered moctezuma to speak to his people to persuade them to let the spanish return in peace. moctezuma was jeered and seriously hurt by stones thrown at him he died few day later.

The spanish attempted to escape from tenochtitlan but are stopped by aztecs -later referred to as the Noche Triste

Jun 10, 1520

tried to make their way to the coat in the middle of the night but the aztec found them trying to cross the causeways and attacked the spanish from all directions even with canoes in the water.

The aztecs begin to die from smallpoxs

Jul 25, 1520

The aztecs began getting sick from smallpox which were brought by the europeans which have built immunity to the disease. Many europeans carrried the disease but did not suffer from it but the aztecs were newly exposed to this disease leaving them volnerable.

This spanish form a second attack on the now weakened aztecs.

Jun 21, 1521

Cortes returned with his allies. aztecs had no allies so they were greatly out numbered. And with half the aztec population already dead from smallpox it made the war much easier for the spanish.

The last group of aztecs surrender

Aug 13, 1521

the spanish had blocked all water sorces to tenochtitlan. survivors of the plaque had died from contaminated drinking water and hungar

cortes becomes governor and captain-general of New Spain

Apr 18, 1522

The spanish destroyed the city and set fire to everything so no one could hide they filled cause ways with ruble so no one could escape by boat. and less than three years of cortes's arival on the shore he became governor and captain-general of what used to be tenochtitlan