mexican-history-salinas

[mexican-history-salinas]

First Image: Hernan Cortes and his band of 500 plus men land in Vera Cruz April 21, 1519 and traveling through the Yucatan in search of gold, contesting and spreading christianity. Making allies with the Totonac natives (Allies of Moctezuma and the Aztecs) Cortes and the Spaniards also had some skirmishes with the natives in the cities of Tocoac (Tlaxcalans allies) and Cholula, finally reaching Tenochtitlan in November 18, 1519. 

Second image: Elder of the Tlaxcalan tribe Xicotenga (left in front of Cortes) Tlaxcalan Chief Mase Escasi (Next to Xicotenga), , Hernan Cortes (Right, in front of Xicotenga, Dona Marina (Center). The image represents the peace and alliance between the Spaniards and the Tlaxcalans who join forces to take down the Aztec Empire. The Tlaxcalans are arch enemies with Moctezuma and the Aztecs and are one of the sole reasons for the conquering of Tenochtitlan

Third Image: The massacre at Cholula happened when the city of Cholula, a contributer to Moctezuma. There was a rumor going on where Dona Marina was warned by an Indian wife of a cacique that an ambush was being planned against the Spaniards. Dona Marina then went and told Cortes and the Spanish herded the people into the cities town square trapping them and unleashed their weapons of muskets and crossbows against them and the Tlaxcalans took out their anger against their enemy. 

Fourth Image: Tlaxcalan warrior using Spanish sword against the Cholula people 

Fifth Image: City of Tenochtitlan and the three major causeways that connected the island to the mainland. 

Sixth Image: November 18, 1519, The meeting between Moctezuma and Cortes . Cortes was not allowed to shake hands with Moctezuma as it was not allowed to touch the king so they greeted each other by saluting one another. 

Seventh Image: The Nights of Sorrow (La Noche Triste) happened after the massacre of Aztec people led by Pedro de Alvarado and Moctezuma’s death at either the hands of the Spanish or one of the stones that hit him in the head that was thrown by the citizens of the cities. The Spaniards tried escaping at night time when they were discovered by an Indian woman who saw them making an escape and were bombarded by Aztecs and had to fight their way out to survive. Many Spaniards and allies died or were captured that night. 

Eighth Image: Small pox was a secret weapon that also helped the Spaniards in winning the war against the Aztecs. The smallpox epidemic came in September of 1520 and took the king Cuitláhuac, Moctezuma's predecessor. 

Ninth Image: The Siege of Tenochtitlan. The powers of the Spaniards are in full affect in this image with their horses, steel weapons, cannons, ships, and enormous amount of soldiers and native allies which were the advantage that led to the fall of Tenochtitlan and the Aztec empire on August 13, 1521.