Summary of ⚔️LA CONQUISTA de México-Tenochtitlan 1519-1521🇲🇽 - La Historia de México

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

This video discusses the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés in 1519-1521. Cortés disregarded orders to recall the expedition and formed alliances with groups opposed to the Aztecs, including the Tlaxcaltecas. They learned of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, which they eventually entered and took control of after capturing the Aztec leader Moctezuma. The population turned against the Spanish and a new expedition arrived from Cuba. After a major battle, the Spanish were forced to flee the city. The Spanish eventually returned in force and destroyed the city after months of siege, aided by the spread of a deadly smallpox epidemic and the alliances Cortés made. This marked the beginning of the conquest of what is now Mexico.

• 00:00:00 In this section, we learn about the events leading up to the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés in 1519. The Spanish had previously explored the continent and occupied various islands in the Caribbean. Cortés was part of a third expedition to the Americas ordered by the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, but upon arriving in the Yucatan Peninsula, Velázquez wanted to recall the expedition, but Cortés disregarded the order and continued on his journey. He encountered various indigenous groups and formed alliances with those opposed to the Aztecs, including among them the Tlaxcaltecas who became a formidable ally. Cortés heard of a great city in the Valley of Mexico, which was said to be full of gold and treasures, motivating him to march inland. The expedition made contact with Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, and the emperor Moctezuma who invited Cortés and his men into the city, which would eventually lead to the fall of their empire at the hands of the Spanish.
• 00:05:00 In this section, we learn about the progression of the Spanish troops as they make their way to Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire. They pass through the city of Cholula where they commit a massacre, killing about 5,000 people. When they finally enter Tenochtitlán, the Spanish soldiers and their allies are awed by the beauty of the city, with its canals, great market, and temple. They take control of the city after capturing the Aztec leader Moctezuma, but the situation becomes unsettled when the population turns against the Spanish, and a new Spanish expedition arrives from Cuba. In the end, there is a major battle, and the Spanish are forced to flee the city.
• 00:10:00 In this section, we learn about the end of the Aztec Empire and the fall of Tenochtitlan. After obtaining reinforcements and making alliances with neighboring populations, Hernán Cortés returned to the city in May 1521 with thousands of allies. After a siege that lasted months, the city was destroyed and the Aztec Empire fell. The conquest was aided by the spread of a deadly smallpox epidemic and the alliances Cortés made. The fall of Tenochtitlan marked the beginning of the conquest of what is now Mexico, which continued for many years afterward.