In response to the indigenous account, dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel in 1866.

Christopher K. Loew
5/09
Note: You're right! It should have been "gunpowder." I changed it. -pr

I am outraged that historians do not give the correct facts, but I do understand that the one who is victorious is the one who writes history. Most historians say that the decline of the Mexicas was because of European disease such as smallpox.

The Mexicas died because the Spanish had many allies. Different Native Americans helped them. The Mexicas were Great Warriors that specialized in the art of war. Thanks to La Malinche, the Spaniards had a lot of allies. The Mexicas attacked many Native American empires, that in the end, those Native American empires allied with Hernan Cortes.

Take for example La Noche Triste or The Sad Night, not even with all the help of the Native Americans could Cortes defeat the Mexicas. Would have the Mexicas known that Cortes was a traitor, they would have easily won the Spaniards.

Vanessa Lopez
11/07

Everyone who is "outraged" at the 'so-called' brutality of the Conquistadores needs to stop, take a deep breath, calm down and look at some truths to who really were the more brutal of the two cultures. If they come back with the answer "the Spanish," then they are closing their eyes!

The Indians sacrificed thousands of their own - men,women, children - then ate them. This happened every single day, day in, day out. For hundreds of years! This was not a lovey-dovey civilization. They were truly barbaric. Now if the same persons say the Spanish destroyed an entire culture, then they would be part right. Cortez happened to come to Mexico at the perfect moment. Montezuma and the Aztecs were serious oppressors and hated by all the other Indians in the entire region. This was a civil-war from the beginning. The Spanish just happened to be the sharp metal spearhead of this civil-war. Make no mistakes about it, the Indians were 100 fold more brutal to the Indians themselves than the Conquistadores. Not to excuse the actions of some like Guzman, who was a brutal man, but if anyone, and I mean anyone truly looks at the facts on who killed more of who, the Indians had this category hands down. Just study the facts, this is truth.

Now sure, I wish the ancient Aztec civilization would have survived and all it's grandeur, however it never could have as long as human sacrifice was a daily staple of their existence. Cortez (if you study the facts) didn't want to destroy Tenochtitlan, or any other town/village. He always sued for peace, always, just study the chronicles. He being arrogant as he was truly wanted so save the magnificent City of Tenochtitlan so he could show the world what he accomplished in his self serving kind of way. These Conquistadores went to Mass every single day! They truly believed they were doing a service for the Holy Trinity. Their missions were (though we in this age cannot fathom their real sincerity), find new lands, colonize, find new peoples, make these new peoples Christians, and of course to find gold. There was no separation between Evangelizing and getting rich to them. Not at least how we in these days do.

Then add in the smallpox factor. Does it not occur to anyone that the Almighty above could no longer permit such a barbaric, heathen society to exist? If not, then why was it permitted to happen? As much as I love my Indian brothers, those old idol worshipping/human sacrifice religions had to stop. Divine Providence if you hint of spiritualism in your heart.

Not that it was easy for any one of them. Cortez and Hitler in the same category, never, and this comes from someone who really doesn't like Cortez's personality. But I do believe he has as much chance of being up in Heaven as you and I, being the devote Christian he was, whereas the natives (at that time) who practiced such grotesque, barbaric, cannibalistic, paganistic, horrific religion as those never ever stood a chance of entering the Holy Kingdom. And all this comes from someone who is not a hard-core religious fanatic. There was too much done in the conquest and conversion of the natives "just" to be random "luck" of a few Conquistadors, too much.

Ben de Tapia
3/07

I am the product of five hundred years of oppression. Within me run years of discrimination and exploitation. To ask for a statue of Cortez in Mexico City would be like a Jew asking for a statue of Hitler in Israel. The only difference between Hitler and Cortez is that Hitler lost the war. Yes, Cortez was a much worse Monster than any other conquering entity.

partiboy
6/03

I always find it interesting that all historians always leave out an important story of the conquest: The marriage of Pedro de Alvarado to Teculehuatzin, the daughter of Xicotencatl, ruler of Tlaxcala. It was this marriage that sealed the alliance between the Spanish and the Tlaxcalans; they followed their Princess as escorts and protectors, ulterior motives not withstanding of revenge on the hated enemy (Aztecs) and subjugators of all other tribes in Mexico. It was the Tlaxcalans that discovered the Aztec plot to kill not only the Spaniards but the Tlaxcalans, the enemy who they now had in their city surrounded. (Do you really believe that the Aztecs were demur innocents angels?) This marriage produced the first mixed child of the Nobility of two continents, Dona Leonor, who ended up marrying the Duke of Albuquerque. Tell me, had the conquest been done by the English, Dutch, or French been better? The climate in Europe of constant warfare with each other was the norm. You cannot get true history if many important aspects of history are omitted by bias. Blame here and there is useless, the deed is done, just try to be fair about it.

B. Alvarado
3/02

I am offended — no, outraged — at the said conquest and the imposing of another culture on the well civilized Aztec empire.What was bought was greed illness and social decay on the haunches of dogs, both the two and four legged variety

Edwin Espinoza
8/01

I am an amateur historian — or at least I enjoy history more than just about anything. And my favorite era in history is the conquest of Mexico. In fact, I like it so much that I had to go to Mexico City several times to touch the steps where Cortez and Moctezuma walked and to stare at the ruins of El Templo Mayor. That was thrilling!

There is something very magical about Mexico City and all of Mexico, for that matter. More magical and enchanting than any other country I've visited. The old spirits are still there. Nothing has changed since before Cortez. The people hold on to their identity even though it has been written so many times that Mexico is looking for its identity. My book will be coming out in 2002 about the personal Mexico, the magical Mexico and the deadly Mexico that I've seen on my search for Moctezuma and Cortez. Thanks for this web site.

Tad Brunton
Costa Mesa, CA
7/01

It was not a story of love as you write. Malintzin* was given first to a foot soidier and then when Cortes saw how "useful" she was, he took her for himself. Do not justify the conquest of a people in the name of love. There are way more dynamics interacting than you have discussed.

*Malintzin--tzin in nahuatl is a suffix attached to someone who deserves respect and reverence.

Maribel Lopez
4/01

I spent a good deal of time hitchhiking in Veracruz between '72 and '79. My home base was rocky point that stuck out into the gulf, called Boca Andrea, 1k south of Palma Sola. Just a stone's throw south there was a little shack, (long gone) on the roadside with a sign that indicated that there was an archeolgical site. I was told that there was an old man who could take you up into the mountains, by footpath, to some ruins, which I now believe to be Quiahuitztlan.

On reading Castillo's account, I am now convinced that I probobly bathed in the same fresh water lagoon as Cortez. Anyway, I am obsessed with any details as to Cortez's exact route, as I am hoping to retrace it, at least as far as the highlands on my next trip South. Luckly, I have a rather detailed map, which I bought back then that shows what were, in the 60's, dirt roads. I have followed the journey past Xico to Ixuacan, but I am lost as to which way they went next. My map shows similar names to the northwest, which is out of the way... do you, or does anyone, know? Is the route from Cempoala to Jalapa even known? There used to be many cross-country footpaths, and the old town names, with all the Z's and X's have mostly been changed... Do you remember when it was Xalapa and Zempoala? Anyway, I am interested in anything or anybody you know who would be helpful in my quest. A detailed Topographical map would be excellent.

DLVH12
12/00

I am studying to be a teacher of Spanish in Georgia. I have been to Mexico and have been enthralled by its beauty and the people. I am now developing a lesson plan to teach a series of cultural lessons on the indigenous peoples of Mexico. In doing that, I also wanted to show the link between the Native American indigenous people and those of Mexico. That's how I came to your site - looking for more information on the NA of the U.S., but of course, I was sidetracked by your great site and now am looking into the Mexican pueblos. It is really a terrific site and I truly appreciate it!

Jo G. Counts
11/00