The Legacy of Mesoamerica History and Culture of a Native American Civilization, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 4 MESOAMERICA AND SPAIN: THE CONQUEST 175

Figure 4.9 Fighting in the

city streets: Mexica warriors

unhorse and kill a Spanish

soldier. Florentine Codex,

Book 12, 58r. Florence, The

Further reproduction by

To conquer Tenochtitlan, Cortés and his allies had virtually to level it. They pro-

ceeded bit by bit, tearing down buildings and filling in canals in order to provide a

flat surface on which they could move freely and challenge their enemies to open

combat. The city’s defenders, weakened by the lack of food and fresh water, resisted

as long as they could but were gradually driven back. Finally, on August 13, 1521,

the day One Serpent in the native calendar, Cuauhtemoc surrendered to Cortés. As

starving, ragged people fled the city, Spaniards searched their bodies for valuables

and selected women to rape. Cortés’s first act as victor was to demand that all re-

maining gold be brought to him.

With the defeat of the Aztec capital, virtually all of the territories of the Aztec em-

pire also were now under de facto Spanish rule. The native allies who joined with

Cortés in order to free themselves from Mexica rule would now find themselves sub-

ject to overlords whose demands were even more burdensome.

THE CONQUEST OF MICHOACÁN

Once the Aztec empire was firmly under Spanish control, the Spaniards began their

expansion to other areas of Mesoamerica. To the west and north of the Basin of Mex-

ico, in what is today the state of Michoacán, was the powerful Tarascan or Purepecha

state. From their capital at Tzintzuntzan on Lake Patzcuaro, the Tarascans maintained

Biblioteca Medicea

Laurenziana, Sahagun,

any means is prohibited.

1979. Reproduced with
      permission of MiBACT.