Conquistadors and Aztecs
A History of the Fall of Tenochtitlan
Published on 13. July 2023
Book
Hardback
328 pages
978-0-19-755246-9 (ISBN)
Description
A highly readable narrative of the causes, course, and consequences of the Spanish Conquest, incorporating the perspectives of many Native groups, Black slaves, and the conquistadors, timed with the 500th anniversary of the fall of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
Five hundred years ago, a flotilla landed on the coast of Yucatan under the command of the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. While the official goal of the expedition was to explore and to expand the Christian faith, everyone involved knew that it was primarily about gold and the hunt for slaves.
That a few hundred Spaniards destroyed the Aztec empire--a highly developed culture--is an old chestnut, because the conquistadors, who had every means to make a profit, did not succeed alone. They encountered groups such as the Tlaxcaltecs, who suffered from the Aztec rule and were ready to enter into alliances with the foreigners to overthrow their old enemy. In addition, the conquerors benefited from the diseases brought from Europe, which killed hundreds of thousands of locals. Drawing on both Spanish and indigenous sources, this account of the conquest of Mexico from 1519 to 1521 not only offers a dramatic narrative of these events--including the fall of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and the flight of the conquerors--but also represents the individual protagonists on both sides, their backgrounds, their diplomacy, and their struggles. It vividly portrays the tens of thousands of local warriors who faced off against each other during the fighting as they attempted to free themselves from tribute payments to the Aztecs.
Written by a leading historian of Latin America, Conquistadors and Aztecs offers a timely portrayal of the fall of Tenochtitlan and the founding of an empire that would last for centuries.
Five hundred years ago, a flotilla landed on the coast of Yucatan under the command of the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes. While the official goal of the expedition was to explore and to expand the Christian faith, everyone involved knew that it was primarily about gold and the hunt for slaves.
That a few hundred Spaniards destroyed the Aztec empire--a highly developed culture--is an old chestnut, because the conquistadors, who had every means to make a profit, did not succeed alone. They encountered groups such as the Tlaxcaltecs, who suffered from the Aztec rule and were ready to enter into alliances with the foreigners to overthrow their old enemy. In addition, the conquerors benefited from the diseases brought from Europe, which killed hundreds of thousands of locals. Drawing on both Spanish and indigenous sources, this account of the conquest of Mexico from 1519 to 1521 not only offers a dramatic narrative of these events--including the fall of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and the flight of the conquerors--but also represents the individual protagonists on both sides, their backgrounds, their diplomacy, and their struggles. It vividly portrays the tens of thousands of local warriors who faced off against each other during the fighting as they attempted to free themselves from tribute payments to the Aztecs.
Written by a leading historian of Latin America, Conquistadors and Aztecs offers a timely portrayal of the fall of Tenochtitlan and the founding of an empire that would last for centuries.
Reviews / Votes
A riveting one-volume history of the 1519-21 Spanish Conquest of Mexico... Where the primary sources contradict one another (as they often do), Rinke explains and interprets the differences, instead of eliding complexity in favor of a contrived history. Although numerous historians have studied the downfall of the Aztec state, Rinke's monograph ranks among the best. VERDICT Enthusiastically recommended for students, scholars, and general readers seeking a thoughtful introduction to a complex and controversial historical moment. * Library Journal (starred review) * Rinke's engaging new study is a significant contribution to the increasingly dynamic field of early Mexico's New Conquest History, adding much to the debate. * Matthew Restall, Author of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest * Stefan Rinke has written an accurate and well-documented retelling of the long known but ever-changing history of the conquest of Mexico. This book is one of the best recent historical narratives of the conquest written in any language, and a good introduction to the new and surprising interpretations of these events. * Federico Navarrete, Cambridge University * Detailed and narrative, focusing on the military conquest and cultural changes in Mesoamerica around 1520...By including methodological debates, recent research problems, and a broad range of Spanish primary sources, Rinke has created a highly recommendable introduction for students and scholars as well as a broader public. * Fabian Fechner, The Americas * Rinke's book... is brilliantly, even stirringly, written. He manages to present the characters as human beings, not just as actors populating contexts. * Ulf von Rauchhaupt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung * [Rinke] presents the motives, perspectives and backgrounds of the individual actors and clears up myths that are still entwined with the conquest of America. Rinke not only describes the conquests, but also explains who actually met there and what the starting situation was. * Sebastian Hollstein, Spektrum der Wissenschaft * Rinke repeatedly points out the contingency of the process and thus reminds us that sometimes chance, topographical circumstances, or linguistic and cultural misunderstandings could be decisive. Overall, this richly detailed and highly readable book, which deals with an extremely exciting subject, should appeal to a wide audience and attract many readers. * Vitus Huber, Zeitschrift fuer Geschichtswissenschaft * Conquistadors and Aztecs covers well-known episodes with freshness and acuity: Moctezuma's puzzling decision to allow Cortes's army to enter Tenochtitlan; the ominous sight (and stench) of bloodstained Mexica priests; Cortes's up-and-down fortunes; Moctezuma's capture and death; Alvarado's point-of-no-return massacre of unarmed Mexica nobility at the festival of Toxcatl; the bleak Spanish retreat ("La Noche Triste"); their determined siege and re-entry; and the decimating effect of smallpox on the native population. * Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal * Historian Rinke revisits in this comprehensive and insightful chronicle the fall of Tenochtitlan and the Mexica (or Aztec) Empire in the early 16th century. Adding depth and nuance to historical accounts of a small band of conquistadors swiftly overcoming a massive empire through technological and tactical superiority, Rinke draws on Indigenous and Spanish sources to uncover a much more complex series of events...Rinke's prodigious research enables him to disentangle the biological, psychological, military, and sociocultural factors behind this much mythologized conquest. The result is a vital reconsideration of the history of the New World. * Publishers Weekly * This book is a solid contribution to a topic that already has received significant interest. It recognizes the contribution of Indigenous peoples to the invasion and draws on some Indigenous sources while maintaining a generally European point of view. * John F. Schwaller, Hispanic American Historical Review * Conquistadors and Aztecs relies on both written and pictorial sources written by European and Indigenous writers to provide a nuanced explanation for "the fall of Tenochtitlan."Conquistadors and Aztecs relies on both written and pictorial sources written by European and Indigenous writers to provide a nuanced explanation for "the fall of Tenochtitlan." * Carlos Macias Prieto, Early American Literature *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
38 halftones
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 168 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
640 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-755246-9 (9780197552469)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2023
OUP eBook
€25.99
Available for download
E-Book
05/2023
OUP eBook
€25.99
Available for download
Person
Stefan Rinke is professor and chair of the department of history at the Institute of Latin American Studies and member of the Friedrich Meinecke-Institut at Freie Universitaet Berlin. From 2014 to 2017 he was President of the European Association of Historians of Latin America. Rinke is the recipient of the Jose Antonio Alzate Award from the Mexican Academy of Sciences and is the author of fourteen books, most of which have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Setting Off for the New World
Chapter 2: The Expedition Begins
Chapter 3: The World of the Mexica
Chapter 4: Totonacapan
Chapter 5: Tlaxcala
Chapter 6: Tenochtitlan
Chapter 7: War and Destruction
Chapter 8: Endless Conquest
Chapter 9: The Legacy of the Conquest
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Chapter 1: Setting Off for the New World
Chapter 2: The Expedition Begins
Chapter 3: The World of the Mexica
Chapter 4: Totonacapan
Chapter 5: Tlaxcala
Chapter 6: Tenochtitlan
Chapter 7: War and Destruction
Chapter 8: Endless Conquest
Chapter 9: The Legacy of the Conquest
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index