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