How Cortes Brought Down the Mighty Aztec Empire

On August 13, 1521, Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés captured Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc in Tenochtitlan marking the end of the Aztec Empire. An excerpt from the article:

"The Siege of Tenochtitlan
While in Tlaxcala, the Spanish received reinforcements and supplies, rested, and prepared to take the city of Tenochtitlan. Cortes ordered the construction of thirteen brigantines, large boats which could sail or be rowed and which would tip the balance while assaulting the island.

Most importantly for the Spanish, an epidemic of smallpox broke out in Mesoamerica, slaying millions, including countless warriors and leaders of Tenochtitlan. This unspeakable tragedy was a great lucky break for Cortes, as his European soldiers were largely unaffected by this disease. The disease even struck down Cuitláhuac, the warlike new leader of the Mexica.

In early 1521, everything was ready. The brigantines were launched and Cortes and his men marched on Tenochtitlan. Every day, Cortes' top lieutenants — Gonzalo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado and Cristobal de Olid — and their men assaulted the causeways leading into the city while Cortes, leading the small navy of brigantines, bombarded the city, ferried men, supplies, and information around the lake, and scattered groups of Aztec war canoes.

The relentless pressure proved effective, and the city was slowly worn down. Cortes sent enough of his men on raiding parties around the city to keep other city-states from coming to the relief of the Aztecs, and on August 13, 1521, when Emperor Cuauhtemoc was captured, resistance ended and the Spanish were able to take the smoldering city.

Aftermath of the Conquest of the Aztec Empire
Within two years, the Spanish invaders had taken down the most powerful city-state in Mesoamerica, and the implications were not lost on the remaining city-states in the region. There was sporadic fighting for decades to come, but in effect, the conquest was a done deal. Cortes earned a title and vast lands and stole most of the riches from his men by short-changing them when payments were made. Most of the conquistadors did receive large tracts of land, however. These were called encomiendas. In theory, the owner of an encomienda protected and educated the natives living there, but in reality, it was a thinly-veiled form of enslavement.

The cultures and people meshed, sometimes violently, sometimes peacefully, and by 1810 Mexico was enough of its own nation and culture that it broke with Spain and became independent."