How The Spanish Took Over

Mariah Ransom Dawn History March 12, 2009 How the Spanish Took Over The Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs for many reasons. One of the things that helped the Spanish conquer the Aztecs were the superior weapons such as guns, cannons, dogs and horses. This was an advantage for the Spanish because the Aztecs have never seen iron weapons before and didn’t have iron weapons or horses to fight back with. They also brought smallpox which is a contagious disease that causes fevers, blisters and if untreated, death. Since the Aztecs were not immune to the disease and didn’t have a cure, many people died. When the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlan, they were greeted with gold and other goods by the Aztecs because of their mistaken identity as Quetzalcoatl, who is an Aztec god. This was a huge mistake for the Aztec Empire because they were unaware of what the Spanish were trying to do. The Spanish were also able to form alliances with vassals who were rivals of the Aztecs. During their journey to Tenochtitlan, the Spanish captured a Mayan woman named Malintzin who spoke Mayan and Nahuatl. Malintzin helped the Spanish by translating the Mayan and Nahuatl language. This later helped the Spanish because they were able to communicate with the Aztecs. When the Aztecs began to realize Cortes and his crew weren’tgods, they tried to kick them out of their city. Malintzin informed them about what was going to happen and the Spanish took Motecuhzoma hostage. Cortes later killed Motecuhzuma and conquered the city. In conclusion, the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs because of the advantages they had when conquering the Aztec Empire.