Hernan Cortez invaded Aztec

1. Hernan Cortez invaded Aztec Lannie Su

2. Hernan Cortes

3. Hernan Cortez Biography • Spanish full name: Hernándo Cortés Pizarro • Hernan was born in 1485 in the kingdom of Castile, a city of Medellin • From upper class family, not wealthy • The only child of his parents • At 14 years old, Hernan went to University of Salamanca • He failed in previous, decided to follow the life of a soldier • Hernan tried to join an expedition to the New World

4. Hernan Cortez Biography:Landed to Mexico • In 1519, Hernan was 34 years old. He began a small expedition to explore to another side of the world • Cortez landed in Yucatán (Southern boundary of valley in Mexico). • He met Jeronimo de Aguilar, priest who knew Mayan • He met his wife, who knew Mayan and Nahuati (language of Aztec) • Hernan took soldiers to Veracruz

5. Fall of the Aztec Empire • Causes of the fall of Aztec Empire: The sacrifices, Religion, Disease, Tactics, and weapons • The Sacrifices: • Ritual Aztec Sacrifice contributed to the fall of Aztec Empire • Because the incredible number they sacrificed led to the hatred of some of the surrounding people like family. • Religion: • Upon the idea of sacrifice people, religion already played a part

6. Fall of the Aztec Empire • Disease (Main reason): • Another Spanish army came from Cuba to make sure Cortez follow orders, and there was an African being as slave who had smallpox, a very contagious disease • An Aztec caught the disease, and was spread among the Aztec population • Tactics: • The Mexicans (Aztecs) were simply used to playing by different rules. They had learned from the previous conquers in other civilization, but Cortez played a clever tactics at the end

7. Ancient Aztec Weapon • Maquahuitl • The best known ancient Aztec weapon • It is made from woods • It had two different kinds of maquahuitl: one handed and two handed • Clubs • Cuauhololli- made of wood with a ball at the end cuauhololli could be used to smash and crush • Spears and Lances • Spears were called tepoztopilli • 7 feet long and sharp and the warriors could use to shave

8. Ancient Aztec Weapon • Bows and Arrows • Bows were 5 feet long, and arrows (yaomime) were pointed with flint, bone or obsidian • Slings • The slings (tematlatl) were used to send stones flying toward the enemy

9. Hernan Cortez’s Army • Tactics: • Hernan Cortez used tactics designed to divide the rival Indian nations of Mesoamerica to against each other • He used the large force of native allies to aid his attack against the hated Aztecs in their island caputal-Tenochtitlan • The reason was because Spanish conquests did not have that much warriors than the Aztec. So he used the trick tactics • Army: Hernan Cortez had 400 men, 15 horsemen, and 15 cannons

10. Hernan Cortez’s Army • Weapons • Lances and swords: 1. Lances were long wooden spears with iron or steel points on the ends, they can be killed masses of native foot soldiers 2. Steel Spanish swords were three feet long. They were narrow, sharp on the both sides • Harquebus: A sort of early musket harquebus is a European weapon designed to defeat armored knights and against the lightly armored, quick natives like the Aztecs

11. Hernan Cortez’s Army • Toldeo: Spanish armors were encased from head to foot in a steel shell, and invulnerable when facing native Aztecs • Protective • Hernan Cortez were able to conquer the Aztec because their weapons were advanced. Steel and metals were tend to beat wooden weapons • Horsemen is another key, the Aztecs had never seen horse before. Horses definitely scared the natives and got killed by Spanish horsemen

12. Resources • Latinanericanhistory.about.com • www.aztec-history.com • www.ucalgary.ca