A. Spain’s Expansionist Context

By the early 1500s, Spain was emerging as a global maritime power after the Reconquista and voyages such as Columbus’s 1492 expedition. Motivated by wealth, religious zeal, and national prestige, Spanish adventurers set out to explore and conquer new lands.

B. Hernán Cortés: The Leader of the Expedition

Hernán Cortés, a young nobleman from Extremadura, Spain, secured permission to explore the mainland of the Americas in 1519. Driven by ambition and determination, Cortés would play the central role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

 The First Contact: Arrival in the Aztec World

A. Landing on the Gulf Coast

Cortés landed in present-day Veracruz in April 1519, establishing the settlement of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz.

B. Forming Alliances with Indigenous Peoples

Recognizing the power of native rivalries, Cortés allied with indigenous groups hostile to the Aztecs, such as the Tlaxcalans, who provided crucial military and logistical support.

C. March to Tenochtitlan

The expedition marched toward the Aztec capital, encountering both resistance and diplomacy along the way. shutdown123