Why did the Spanish destroy Tenochtitlan?

Why did the Spanish destroy Tenochtitlan?

Battle of Tenochtitlán, (May 22–August 13, 1521), military engagement between the Aztecs and a coalition of Spanish and indigenous combatants. Cortés’s army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to conquer the city.

What happened to Tenochtitlan after the Spanish conquered it?

A few days after the great forces of Cortés got into Tenochtitlan, the roads were shut and the causeway bridges were raised. The Aztecs halted any Spanish attacks or attempts to leave the palace. Every Spanish soldier that was not killed was wounded.

When did the Spanish take over Tenochtitlan?

Aug. 13, 1521
Montezuma was killed by friendly fire. The surviving conquistadors escaped the city and later returned with Spanish reinforcements. They bravely laid siege to Tenochtitlán for months and finally captured it on Aug. 13, 1521, with the Spanish taking their rightful place as leaders of the land we now know as Mexico.

How were Aztec wiped out?

The Aztecs were conquered by Spain in 1521 after a long siege of the capital, Tenochtitlan, where much of the population died from hunger and smallpox.

How were the Spanish Conquistadors able to defeat the powerful Aztec?

Hernan Cortes was able to conquer the Aztec Empire by scaring the natives with the 16 horses, gaining alliances with the other enemies of the Aztec, having superior and better weapons than the natives (like guns), having armor, and having steel.

How did the Spanish win the Battle of Tenochtitlan?

Cortés’s army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to conquer the city. Cortés’s victory destroyed the Aztec empire, and the Spanish began to consolidate control over what became the colony of New Spain.

Why did the Spanish want to destroy the Aztec Empire?

The Spanish saw nothing of value in the indigenous culture and set out to systematically destroy everything that had no monetary value. The Fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, came about through the manipulation of local factions and divisions by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

What did the people of Tenochtitlan do for a living?

This central area was where the temple of Huitzilopochtli, temples for other gods, and the rulers’ palaces lay. Each of the four sectors had its own services, including a religious precinct, and was occupied by craftspeople like weavers, sculptors, and potters.

Why did the Aztecs build Tenochtitlan in Lake Texcoco?

When they saw this exact scene on an island (located in what was once Lake Texcoco), they interpreted it as a sign from their god and founded Tenochtitlan on that island. The Aztec region of Mesoamerica, called Anáhuac, contained a group of five connected lakes. The largest of them was Lake Texcoco.