What did Bernal Diaz del Castillo do?
The Spanish soldier Bernal Díaz del Castillo (ca. 1496-ca. 1584) was a member of the expedition that conquered the Aztec empire. His “A True History of the Conquest of New Spain” is the most complete contemporary chronicle of that event.
What’s a conquistador?
Conquistador, (Spanish: “conqueror”) plural conquistadores or conquistadors, any of the leaders in the Spanish conquest of America, especially of Mexico and Peru, in the 16th century.
How did Bernal Diaz del Castillo describe Tenochtitlan?
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, one of Cortés’ men, describes Tenochtitlán: When we saw all those cities and villages built on water; and the other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico, we were astounded.
What factors helped the Spanish defeat the Aztecs?
- Superior Weapons. Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas.
- Alliances and Experience. The invading Spanish forces also took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec and Inca empires.
- The Power of Horses.
- Deadly Disease.
How did the Aztecs grow their food?
To grow all this food, the Aztecs used two main farming methods: the chinampas and terracing. Chinampas were essentially man-made islands, raised bed gardens on the surface of Lake Texcoco’s shallow waters. To use the hilly land for farming, the Aztecs terraced the hills by cutting into them.
How did the Aztecs kill their sacrifices?
Aztec priests, using razor-sharp obsidian blades, sliced open the chests of sacrificial victims and offered their still-beating hearts to the gods. They then tossed the victims’ lifeless bodies down the steps of the towering Templo Mayor.
How long did it take for the Spanish to conquer the Aztecs?
Spanish conquistadores commanded by Hernán Cortés allied with local tribes to conquer the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlán. 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 disease did the Aztecs die from?
Smallpox took its toll on the Aztecs in several ways. First, it killed many of its victims outright, particularly infants and young children.
Who wiped the Mayans?
The Spanish conquistadores arrived in the early 1500s and the last independent Mayan city, Nojpeten (in present-day Guatemala), fell to Spanish troops in 1697. The ancient cities were largely forgotten until the 19th century, when their ruins started to be uncovered by explorers and archeologists.
Are there underwater Mayan ruins?
The World’s Largest Underwater Cave Has Been Discovered — and May Hold Ancient Mayan Secrets (Video) Divers in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula say they have discovered the world’s largest underwater cave.
Where are the Aztecs now?
Aztec, self name Culhua-Mexica, Nahuatl-speaking people who in the 15th and early 16th centuries ruled a large empire in what is now central and southern Mexico. The Aztecs are so called from Aztlán (“White Land”), an allusion to their origins, probably in northern Mexico.
How did smallpox devastated Aztecs?
First, it killed many of its victims outright, particularly infants and young children. Many other adults were incapacitated by the disease – because they were either sick themselves, caring for sick relatives and neighbors, or simply lost the will to resist the Spaniards as they saw disease ravage those around them.
What percentage of Aztecs were destroyed by smallpox?
approximately 50%
How does smallpox kill?
The cause of death from smallpox is not clear, but the infection is now known to involve multiple organs. Circulating immune complexes, overwhelming viremia, or an uncontrolled immune response may be contributing factors. In early hemorrhagic smallpox, death occurs suddenly about six days after the fever develops.