Empires in the Americas

The Fall of Two Empires

ObjectivesAztec Empire – basic beliefs, and influencesHernan Cortes – why is he coming to Latin AmericaHow did the Aztec’s view the SpanishWhat allowed the Spanish to overthrow a much bigger empireWho was Montezuma and how did the Aztec belief system lead to its demise

Pyramid of the Sun – birth place of the EarthTeotihuacan – location of Pyramid

(Tea-oh-wa-kon) – city state in power before Spanish arrive

Teotihuacan

Temple of Quetzalcoatl with magnificent heads of plumed serpents built into the walls were built for religious purposes.

Birthplace of Quetzalcoatl

-From Pyramid of the Sun – 5 Gods, the 5th God came down and built the Earth, he took on an Earthly Form and was named Quetzalcoatl “Plumed Serpent”

A calendar established based on the movement of Venus. Created a Venus War Cult ” to go to war to appease “Quetzalcoatl”

Blood Sacrifice of Warriors as part of war. If no blood is offered to the gods, the world will end

Teotihuacan’s city state in 600-500 BCE

Human Sacrifce was common to appease the Gods

Teotihuacan

_city state disappears but Tenochtitlan (Capital of Aztecs is only 30 miles away)

Toltecs 950 AD – City of Tula –where Quetzalcoatl re-took human form and was driven out of the city by religious priests.

Prophecy said he would return from the East (gulf of Mexico).The Toltec’s were also a empire located in the same geographical area as the Aztec’s The Aztecs take-up many of the belief’s of these two cultures…..

FALL OF THE AZTECS

Montezuma

Actual head-dress worn by Montezuma

Strangers on the Coast

MontezumaLeader of the AztecLives in Tenochtitlan Fears Quetzalcoatl• Aztec serpeant God expected to return to take his

throne• Pale skinned arriving from the East

Hears of pale skinned people on the coast• Thinks it Quetzalcoatl

Invites them to Tenochtitlan

Hernan Cortes1519 Cortes lands at Vera Cruz• Greeted as friendly by local people’s including a group fromTenochtitlán•Rival Spanish Army sent from Cuba tomake sure Cortes finds gold.•Cortes battles this army who have a slave with small pox…Cortes soldier contracts the disease…on the way backto Vera Cruz, the Aztec army overthrows Cortes, and contracts Smallpox…bringing it back to Tenochitlan….

Cortes the ConquerorAt first 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 Arrives in Mexico

Cortes has heard rumors about cities of gold in North AmericaGovernor wants Cortes to claim land and look for gold in Mexico

Cortes leaves for “gold” land to the West

• 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 Veracruz (city)Claims Mexico for SpainBurns his ships

• Prevents his men from retreating

Montezuma sends gold to have Cortes turn back

Cortes is more curious about how much gold the Aztec really have

Cortes in TenochtitlanArrives on November 8, 1519Montezuma gives Cortes the empire to command (thought he was Quetzalcoatl)

Hands him the keys to the cityCortes fears he may be lead into a trap

Cortes takes Montezuma hostage

Spanish melt all the gold into bars

Easier to transport8 million dollars worth

A New Spanish Ally: Disease

Aztec revolt against the SpanishMontezuma is killed by a rock thrown by his own people (probably)Drive 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

Fall of the Incas

Atahualpa

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 million – in goldPizzaro 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