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1 onquest fthe Aztecs nd Incas I I,,~s so~ 1 fter Columbus, others from Spain-Balboa and Magellan among them-went on to explore the Americas. Driven by their desire for gold and other riches, they pushed deep into North and South America. This was new land to the Spanish. But it was home to the people already living there. Fall of the Aztecs The year was 1519, and the Aztec king Motecuhzoma (mawetayekwahesohemah) stood at his palace at Tenochtitlan, looking out at the night sky. The king watched for signs that would tell him what was to happen. In the last two years, some odd things had taken place in the Aztec capital. The Earth had shaken. The lake had flooded the city. Comets had been seen in the sky. Aztec priests had shldied these natural wonders and decided they were signs that the Aztec Empire was coming to an end. Then one day people came to the bringing news of another happening. Men who had te skin and black beards and who deer without antlers were coming Tenochtitlan. The news startled king. The Aztec people believed FOCUS What might cause people of different cultures to fight with one another today? Main Idea Read to learn what led to fighting between the Spanish and the Aztecs and between the Spanish and the Incas during the 1500s. Vocabulary conquistador civil war Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec god, was sometimes shown as a snake with feathers (left). It was believed that he controlled land and sky. The Spanish chest (above) was used in the to carry goods from the Americas to Europe. Chapter 4 149

2 TenochtillAne PACIFIC OCEAN - Cortes, 1519 Aztec Empire - Route of Cortes A~ M E R) C ia O Miles - \, ', o Kilometers ('ulf of "'lexica., TL VJTlC -~AN Azimuthal Eq ual-area Projection Bahamas H; sp~n i ola Ldflboean Sea SOUTH AMERICA I Cortes sailed west from Cuba o what Is now Mexico How did the location of Tenochtitlan make it difficult for Cortes to conquer the Aztecs? that the light-skinned god Quetzalcoatl (kehtezahlekooewahetahl) would one day return to rule his people. Could it be that this god of old was coming back? The person the Aztec Indians thought might be Quetzalcoatl was the explorer Hernando Cortes (kawretez). He had been sent by the Spanish government to look for gold. With Cortes were more than 500 soldiers, 14 cannons, 16 horses, and several dogs. The horses were the first in the Americas for thousands of years. Cortes had heard stories about the great wealth of the Aztec Empire. Before setting out, he told his soldiers, " We are,,,raging a just and good war which will bring us fame. Almighty God, in whose name it will be waged, will give us victory. I offer you great rewards, although they will be wrapped about with great hardships. If you do not abandon me, as I shall not abandon you, I shall make you the richest men who ever crossed the seas. " In the spring of 1519, Cortes landed on the east coast of Mexico. He defeated the Indians there, then set out for Tenochtitlan. The journey covered 200 miles (322 km) from the tropical coast, through snowy mountains, and into the Valley of Mexico. After marching for 83 days, Cortes and his soldiers, joined by large numbers of the! nocbhtlan. This painting shows Motecuhzoma (left) meeting with Cortes (right) in Tenochtitlan. Malinnin (next to Cortes) helped translate for the Spanish explorers. 150 Unit 2

3 Aztecs' Indian enemies, finally reached Tenochtitlan. Thinking that Cortes might be Quetzalcoatl, Motecuhzoma welcomed him, offering housing and gifts of gold. When the Spanish soldiers saw the gold, they were overjoyed. Cortes took Motecuhzoma prisoner. Within two years the Aztec ruler was dead and his capital city was in ruins. Spanish weapons and European diseases, which were new to the Indians, had nearly destroyed the Aztec civilization. By 1521 Cortes had conquered the Aztecs. Conquering the Aztecs won for Cortes both wealth and glory. He and his soldiers were now able to capture the Aztecs' treasures. Among the Europeans, the soldiers soon became known as conquistadors (kahnekeesetahedoors). This word in Spanish means"conquerors." Spain now ruled Mexico. On the ashes of the Aztec capital, the Spanish built Mexico City. Mexico City became the capital of Spain's new empire in the Americas. How did the Spanish acquire Mexico for their empire? Fall of the Incas Other conquistadors soon followed Cortes to the Americas. Sixty-year-old Francisco Pizarro (peeezareoh) was one of them. Pizarro had heard stories of an Indian people whose empire was far richer and more powerful than tha t of the Aztecs. These people were called the Incas. PACIFIC OCEAN, ROllte of Pizarro Talca 1 ATLANTIC OCEA.N w!' Miles o Kilometers ModifIed Chambers TrrOletnc Projection N ---+ Pizarro, Inca Empire - Inca road I-M_o_v_e_m_e_n_t ----' Pizarro traveled south from Panama to the Inca capital of Cuzco (Koos-koh). Along the way he found stonepaved roads built by the Incas. Why do you think these roads were important to the Incas? In 1531 Pizarro and a group of 180 Spanish and African soldiers sailed from Panama and landed on the west coast of South America. For the next two years, they wandered about the Andes Mountains, stealing gold and riches from the Indian peoples they found. Then one day they came across a large Inca camp. One of Pizarro's soldiers described the camp as "beautiful." There were so many tents ThIS statue, made of silver and gold. represents an Inca noble. Shells were used to decorate the statue. Chapter 4 151

4 that the sight filled the Spanish with fear. The soldier said, " We never thought the Indians could occupy such a proud position, nor so many tents, so well set up. It filled all of us... with confusion and fear. But we dared not show it. " The Spanish would soon learn that the empire of the Incas was even larger and more powerful than they had heard. The empire covered 3,000 miles (4,828 km) of the western coast of South America, including parts of the present-day countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. The empire also included more than 9 million people. A network of roads and stations connected the towns, and all the people paid taxes to the Inca ruler. Some paid in potatoes or corn, while others paid in gold. When Pizarro and his soldiers arrived, the Inca Empire was not at peace. It was being torn in two by a civil war. A civil war is a war between people of the same country. The war was being fought between the followers of two brothers, Atahuallpa (ah.tah.wahl.pah) and Huascar (WAHS.kar). Both said they had the right to the throne. The war finally ended when Atahuallpa killed his brother and became emperor. But the fighting had weakened the empire. The Inca ceremonial collar and mask (below) are made of solid gold. The art of the Incas made the Spanish even more eager to capture Inca treasures. In the drawing (left) the Inca ruler Atahuallpa is being carried to meet Pizarro. Like the Aztecs, some Incas thought their Spanish visitor was a god. 152 Unit 2

5 Offering friendship to the new emperor, Pizarro invited Atahuallpa to the Spanish camp. The emperor arrived the next day with several thousand of his people. They carried him on a golden throne lined with parakeet feathers. Around his neck he wore a necklace of giant green emeralds. He wore gold ornaments in his hair. Pizarro's priest asked Atahuallpa to give up his own religion and accept Christianity. He also asked him to accept the king of Spain as his master. When Atahuallpa refused, Pizarro took the emperor prisoner. To buy his freedom, Atahuallpa promised Pizarro This maize plant. made of silver. shows that maize was an important food to the Incas. This artifact is about 500 years old. enough silver and gold to fill a whole room. Atahuallpa's people provided the riches, but Pizarro had him killed anyway. After Atahuallpa's death in 1533, the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire and made slaves of its people. Inca weapons were no match for Spanish guns and crossbows. For the Spanish, the conquest brought riches and power. But for the Incas, the encounter ended a civiliza tion. 'i'mi41' lvhy did Pizarro order that Atahuallpa be taken prisoner? LES SON I REVIEW I I 1519 Cortes lands in Mexico 1533 Pizarro conquers the Incas Check Understanding o Remember the Facts What was the goal of Cortes and Pizarro? e Recall the Main Idea What was the major reason for the fighting between the Spanish and the Aztecs and between the Spanish and the Incas? Think Critically e Explore Viewpoints Compare the viewpoints of Pizarro and Atahuallpa about who should control land in the Americas. List the reasons each leader might have given to support his ideas. o Past to Present Why do some countries today try to conquer other countries? Compare and contrast these reasons with the reasons the Spanish conquistadors had for conquering the Aztecs and the Incas. Show What You Know Journal-Writing Activity Imagine that you are a soldier traveling with Cortes or Pizarro. Write a journal entry that describes what you see as you arrive in the Aztec or Inca Empire. Share your entry with a friend. Chapter 4 153