He is best known for his explorations of the coast of California from 1542-43. The Aztecs believed they were the chosen people of the gods. The most successful conquistador was Hernán Cortés, who in 1520-1521, with thousands of Amerindian allies, overran the mighty Aztec empire, thus making Mexico a part of the Spanish empire; this would be the basis of the colony of New Spain. Their chief god was Huitzilpochtli who represented the sun. But the sun's victory was short-lived. In anticipation of winning his own honor and riches, Cortés later explored the Yucatán Peninsula. He did, however, return nine months later, this time with his Tlaxcalan allies and, after a lengthy siege, the city finally fell. The Aztecs, who probably originated as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica around the beginning of the 13th century. In 1519, Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés (er–NAHN koor–TEZ), with and a band of fellow conquistadors, set out to explore present-day Mexico. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Native people in Mexico told Cortés about the Aztecs. The victorious sun rose each morning, drove off the moon and stars and captured the daytime sky. The Spaniards used firearms effectively but did most of their fighting with pikes and blades, aided by numerous Indian allies who hated the dominant Aztecs. Each afternoon and evening, the sun sank in tired defeat. The Aztecs had built a large and wealthy empire in Mexico. Tenochtitlán was ransacked of any precious goods and its monuments were destroyed. Hernán Cortés, an ambitious, thirty-four-year-old Spaniard who had won riches in the conquest of Cuba, organized an invasion of Mexico in 1519. The Aztecs, led by Cuauhtemoc and ravaged by lack of food and disease, finally collapsed on the fateful day of 13th August 1521 CE. Cortés arrived on Hispaniola in 1504 and took part in the conquest of that island. The date of their arrival in central Mexico remains speculative. Hernán Cortés hoped to gain hereditary privilege for his family, tribute payments and labor from natives, and an annual pension for his service to the crown. Start studying US History 1 MidTerm. Other articles where History of Mexico is discussed: Mexico: Pre-Columbian Mexico: It is assumed that the first inhabitants of Middle America were early American Indians, of Asian derivation, who migrated into the area at some time during the final stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. Hernán Cortés entered Mexico from Cuba in 1519 and spent two years overthrowing the Aztec confederation, which dominated Mexico’s civilized heartland. From their The Spanish relied on Indigenous allies to defeat the Aztecs. Believed to have been of Portuguese descent, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was a soldier and explorer in service to Spain.