that followed demonstrated Cortés’s masterful ability to perceive and exploit the political and ethnic divisions between the Aztecs and their subordinate polities.. Events in Cempoala—in
Trang 1that followed demonstrated Cortés’s masterful ability to
perceive and exploit the political and ethnic divisions
between the Aztecs and their subordinate polities Events
in Cempoala—in which Cortés tricked the Cempoalan
cacique into an alliance—are often cited as exemplary
of this ability So too is his decision to scuttle his ships,
along with other actions that worked to instill a sense of
purpose, unity, and loyalty among his men
After winning the alliance of the Tlaxcalans—one
of the few polities the Aztecs had proved unable to
subdue—and slaughtering some 6,000 Cholulans in
an infamous surprise attack, the expedition reached
Tenochtitlán on November 8, 1519 Entering the
mag-nificent city, the Spaniards were greeted graciously by the indecisive Moctezuma
A few days later on November 14, Cortés boldly took the Aztec emperor hostage, holding him as pris-oner within his own capital city After some six months
in this uneasy state, Cortés learned that Governor Velázquez of Cuba had dispatched an expedition under Pánfilo de Narváez to arrest him (Cortés) for violat-ing his orders Leavviolat-ing his second in command Pedro
de Alvarado in charge in Tenochtitlán, in early May
1520, Cortés hastened back to Cempoala, defeated the Narváez force on May 28–29, and won over its sur-vivors Returning to Tenochtitlán, the Spanish force
4 Mexico, conquest of
A 1585 illustration from a painting depicting Hernán Cortés (seated) greeting Aztec leaders La Malinche, his translator, stands at his side The arrival of Europeans on the North American continent spelled the eventual demise of the Aztec Empire