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How Did Cortes Conquer The Aztec

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Bloody murders, deadly sports games, a disease as lethal as Ebola, and countless wars were just a few of the dangers that Aztec citizens had to deal with in their lives. In February of 1519, Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico looking for gold and other valuables. When he arrived, he instantly made allies with many of the tribes, hoping to obtain gold from them. Without the Spanish even asking, the Aztecs gave the Spaniards tons of gold and other goods. Cortes wanted all the Aztecs riches, so he became allies with the Tlaxcalan. The Tlaxcalan were arch enemies with the Aztecs, and Cortes really wanted to control Tenochtitlan. With help from the Tlaxcalan, Cortes and the Spaniards eventually defeated the Aztecs and won over Tenochtitlan. One question …show more content…

The object of the ball game was to get a small rubber ball through either a small ring on the side of the court or into the other team’s end zone without using your hands or your feet. There were teams of two or three males on either side. The ball game could last anywhere from a couple of minutes to almost 24 hours. The game also brought a big health toll. Because the ball is hard and the game could be played for an extremely long period of time, many people got severely injured just from hitting the ball multiple times. The winners of the game received a trophy that was an important ceremonial object. The players on the losing team, or sometimes just the captain, were given a harsh punishment. They were instantly decapitated and used as a sacrifice to the gods. These many forms of sacrifice led to the loss of many people that could have helped the Aztecs defeat the …show more content…

One of those tribes was the Tlaxcalan. The Tlaxcalan were one of the Aztec’s major enemies. Although they were enemies, they had a lot in common. They looked alike, they acted very similarly, and they spoke the same language. Two important differences between them were that they used different weapons, and that the Tlaxcalan had no ranks. The Tlaxcalan were very good fighters, but they weren’t able to single-handedly defeat the Aztecs. When the Spaniards came to Mexico, they joined forces and the Aztecs were finally defeated by the Tlaxcalans.

Another tribe that was an enemy of the Aztecs was the Tepaneca. The Tepaneca were just as dominant as the Aztecs at one time. They ruled from a city called Azcapotzalco. In 1427, the Tepaneca killed the Aztec’s third king, Chimalpopoca. This was the start of many battles between the two tribes. Eventually, the Aztecs defeated the Tepaneca, and took over Azcapotzalco, but it came with a cost. The Aztecs lost many warriors in the war and they were down in numbers when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, which made it easier for the Spanish to defeat the

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