Hernando Cortes

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar

Santo Domingo (aka Dominican Republic)

Interpret

• What kind of man is Velaquez?

• How do you know?

Cuba

Sailing from Cuba…

…to Mexico

Thinking Back…

• In past cultures we have studied, what happened when Europeans travel to “discover” or explore a “new” place?

• What is the interaction like between the native people and the European settlers?

February of 1519February of 1519

Present-day Cozumel Island,

Mexico

Potonchan (present-day

Tabasco)

Veracruz

Aztec Empire

Aztecs greet Spanish

Cortes sunk his ships

Thinking Ahead

• What do you think Cortes is going to do? What is his plan?

Old Map

Cortes 1519-1521

Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital

Moctezuma II

Inferring?

• What do Moctezuma’s actions say about his values?

Cortes takes Moctezuma

IIcaptive

You are Cortes

• You have the capital city of the Aztec Empire under control and have taken their leader captive. The Aztecs are unhappy with you and now a fleet of the Spanish army is sailing to arrest you.

• What is your plan?

Cortes attacks Spanish

You are the Aztecs• These strangers have come into your city. Your

leader gave them your gold and other precious gifts, and these strangers took your leader hostage.

• Now, the leader of the Spaniards, Cortes, and 300 of his best soldiers have gone to battle the Spanish army at the shore 200 miles away, but left the rest of his army in your city.

• You are angry with your leader for letting them in and angry with the Spanish for trying to take over your empire.

• What is your plan?

Aztecs attack Spaniards

Cortes attacks

Follow-up Questions

• Based on the story, what was the Aztec Empire like before the Spanish arrived?

Follow-up Questions

• If Cortes and the Spaniards never entered Mexico, how might Mexico be different today?