Post on 30-Dec-2015
Chapter 4: European Empires in the Americas
Section 1The Fall of Two Empires
Cortes Arrives in Mexico
Cortes has heard rumors about cities of gold (Cibola) in North AmericaGovernor wants Cortes to claim land and look for gold in Mexico
Later he changes his mindCortes disobeys and goes anyway
• 11 ships, 800 men• Horses, cannons, muskets and
war dogs dressed in armor
Malintzin the Interpreter
Native American princessShe could speak Mayan, Spanish and Nahuatl
The language of the Aztec
She became interpreter for Cortes
Cortes Marches Inland
Before marchingFounds VeracruzClaims Mexico for SpainBurns his ships • Prevents his men from
retreating
Strangers on the Coast
MontezumaLeader of the AztecLives in Tenochtitlan Fears Quetzalcoatl• Aztec serpeant God expected to return to take his
throne• Pale skinned
Hears of pale skinned people on the coast• Thinks it Quetzalcoatl
Cortes the Conqueror
Spanish conquistador (conqueror)Montezuma’s messengers present Cortes with gifts when he lands
Cortes is not pleased• “Is this all?”
Captures messengers and fires cannons to scare themCortes tells them that he has a disease which can only be cured by gold
Cortes in TenochtitlanArrives on November 8, 1519Montezuma gives Cortes the empire to command
Hands him the keys to the city
Cortes fears he may be lead into a trap
Cortes takes Montezuma hostage
Spanish melt all the gold into bars
Easier to escape8 million dollars worth
A New Spanish Ally: Disease
Aztec revolt against the SpanishMontezuma is killed by a rock thrown by his own peopleDrive Spanish out of Tenochtitlan
Diseases brought by the Spanish killed many Aztec
Smallpox and measlesAztec had never been exposed to diseases before
The Final Conquest
Cortes returns 10 months laterThousands of Native Americans, Spanish soldiers ready to fightAztec weapons no match for iron weapons and cannons
Aztec surrender August 13, 1521
Gold and treasures now belong to CortesOrders Mexico City to built where Tenochtitlan once was
Pizzaro and the Inca
Francisco Pizzaro attacks an Incan trading ship filled with silver and goldTrains Incan crew to be interpretersPlans his attack on the Incan Empire
A Broken Promise
1531, Pizzaro and 180 soldiers travel through South America
He learns that the Incan leader, Atahualpa, just finished fighting a civil war and is tiredPizzaro takes Atahualpa captive and demands a ransom for his freedomGathers $65 millionPizzaro kills Atahualpa
The Fall of an Empire
Pizzaro sends soldiers to Cuzco, Incan capital, to capture itPizzaro sets his capital up in Lima, PeruTakes 40 years to capture and defeat all of the Inca
Great loyalty to their people