2. The Defeat of Tenochtitlan
Tlaxcalteca
Spanish military
Pedro de Alvaro
…along with other black
soldiers, helped the Spaniards
win victory.

3. How weresuch amazing feats possible?
Hernando Cortes
Divine Providence
•The strength of the
Spanish military and
Tlaxcala support
•The moral and political
decaying of the Mexica
at the time of the
invasion
•Structural weakness
againstthe invaders’
supremacy
•Disease

4. The SpanishExplorer
• In order for a Spanish Conquistador
to be able to participate in exploration,
discovery, colonization, and conquest
of the Americas, the explorer had to
prove his worth as an explorer. This
was a very extensive process.
• They were expected to submit royal
documents (cartas or relationes)to the
king as a proof of merit (probanza de
merito).
• Carta: letters
• Relationes: accounts
• Black and Native elites also could
petition for these positions by
representation in the judicial system
(as they were also part of the
conquests).

5. Conquistadors of the Americas
PedrodeAlvaro: Chiapas& Guatemala
1519-21
•Pedro de Alvarado
•Hernando Cortes
•Pedro Gonzalez Najera
• Jorge de Alvarado
•other Indigenous
soldiers
HernanCortes:Mexico &Honduras
1518-22