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Decline of Aztec and Inca Civilizations

Page history last edited by Robert W. Maloy 3 years, 2 months ago

Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple, Architect of the U.S. Capitol

 

Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple, Architect of the U.S. Capitol

Topics on the Page

 
Encounters between Cortes and Montezuma


Encounters between Pizarro and the Incas


Goals of the Spanish conquistadors


Effects of European diseases, particularly smallpox, throughout the Western hemisphere

 

 

Focus Question: Why did Aztec and Inca civilizations decline in the 16th century?

 

 

 

The encounters Cortes and Montezuma

 

 

external image Aztec_Empire_c_1519.png

  • Cortes and his army first met the Aztec people in February of 1519, and completed their conquest two years later.

 

  • By allying with the Aztecs enemies, and deceiving their leader, Montezuma, the Spaniards were able to defeat an army that vastly outnumbered their own.

 

 

Meeting of Cortes and Montezuma. Edward R. Shaw, 1900
Meeting of Cortes and Montezuma. Painting by Edward R. Shaw, 1900


For more, see The Conquest of Mexico series of paintings.

Go here for a biography of Cortes from BBC History

 


Visit here for an interactive timeline of the life of Hernan Cortes.

Click here to learn more about the Fall of the Aztecs from PBS


Click here for Aztec Conquest lesson plan from PBS


The encounters between Pizarro and the Incas

Pizarro seizes the Incas of Peru

 

Pizarro siezes the Incas of Peru

 

 

  • In 1532, Francisco Pizarro and his men arrived from Panama during a time of civil unrest for the Inca.

 

  • Huayna Capac, the ruler at the time, had died and left his kingdom to his son Huascar. Enraged, Atahualpa, Capac's other son, murdered his brother. 

 

  • Taking advantage of the weakness of a culture in civil war, Pizarro attacked and killed Atahualpa, signifying the end of the Inca Empire, then melted down all of his gold.'


Click here to learn more about the Conquest of the Incasfrom PBS

Click here for a timeline of the Inca Empire and here for an interactive timeline of Pizarro's life

To learn more, National Geographic has an article on the Inca Empire, including more information on the succession crisis of Atahualpa. Additionally, they have an interactive map of the empire.

For a Peruvian viewpoint on the Fall of the Inca Empire

 

The goals of the Spanish conquistadors

 

Coronado Sets Out North by Frederic Remington
Coronado Sets Out North by Frederic Remington


The primary reasons for the Spaniards' arrival in Mesoamerica was to for the three G's: gold, glory, and God. The Spaniards believed they would become rich and powerful if they were able to conquer a land full resources and gold, and also wished to convert the natives to christianity.

For a comprehensive view, see Conquistadors from PBS.

Peruvian Ice Cap Harbors Evidence of Conquistadors' Greed The article describes the earliest evidence of air pollution in South America from sliver mines where natives were forced to work by the Spanish.

Pizarro and the Conquistadors from the Library of Congress



The effects of European diseases, particularly smallpox, throughout the Western hemisphere

 

A major contributor to the European conquer of Mesoamerica was disease.

  • European diseases, especially smallpox, decimated the native inhabitants. 
  • With a decreasing, unhealthy population, there was little hope for the indigenous peoples to prevent the Europeans from conquering them.


Cause of Epidemic video

  • When Cortes finally entered Tenochtitlan (Mexico City today) in 1520, the year after he first arrived in the New World, he found half of the inhabitants infected with smallpox
  • By 1595, over 18 million people had died of smallpox, mumps, measles and other European diseases.



external image 200px-Paperback_book_black_gal.svg.pngGuns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond presents a theory of why civilizations decline.

For more on the impact of smallpox and other illness from Europe, see Diseases, a website created by students in a history class at Gettysburg College.

See also, Massive Population Drop found for Native Americans, DNA Shows from National Geographic (December 5, 2011).


Teaching Resources


 Quia games and jeopardy style PowerPoints about explorers.

 
Inca empire map from
http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/04encountersintheamericas/Fall_of_the_In.html

Click here and here for Lesson plans on Aztec and Inca Empires

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