A Beginner's History. William H. Mace
and are still fashioned as in the days of Cortés
Cortés makes Montezuma a prisoner
Montezuma, the Indian ruler, received Cortés and his men very politely and gave the officers a house near the great temple. But Cortés was in danger. What if the Indians should rise against him? To guard against this danger, Cortés compelled Montezuma to live in the Spanish quarters. The people did not like to see their beloved ruler a prisoner in his own city.
The Spaniards driven out of the city
But no outbreak came until the Spaniards, fearing an attack, fell upon the Indians, who were holding a religious festival, and killed hundreds of them. The Indian council immediately chose Montezuma's brother to be their ruler and the whole city rose in great fury to drive out the now hated Spaniards. The streets and even the housetops were filled with angry warriors. Cortés compelled Montezuma to stand upon the roof of the Spanish fort and command his people to stop fighting.
HERNANDO CORTÉS
From the portrait painted by Charles Wilson Peale, now in Independence Hall, Philadelphia
But he was ruler no longer. He was struck down by his own warriors, and died in a few days, a broken-hearted man. After several days of hard fighting, Cortés and his men tried to get out of the city, but the Indians fell on the little army and killed more than half of the Spanish soldiers before they could get away.
The great Indian city almost destroyed
14. Cortés Conquers Mexico. Because of jealousy a Spanish army was sent to bring Cortés back to Cuba. By capturing this army Cortés secured more soldiers. Once more he marched against the city. What could bows and arrows and spears and stones do against the terrible horsemen and their great swords, or against the Spanish foot soldiers with their muskets and cannon? At length the great Indian city was almost destroyed, but thousands of its brave defenders were killed before the fighting ceased (1521). From this time on, the country gradually filled with Spanish settlers.
15. Cortés Visits Spain. After several years, Cortés longed to see his native land once more. He set sail, and reached the little port of Palos from which, many years before, the great Columbus had sailed in search of the rich cities of the Far East. Here, now, was the very man who had found the splendid cities and had returned to tell the wonderful story to his king and countrymen. All along the journey to the king the people now crowded to see Cortés as they had once crowded to see Columbus.
CORTÉS BEFORE MONTEZUMA
After the original painting by the Mexican artist, J. Ortega; now in the National Gallery of San Carlos, Mexico
Cortés shares Columbus' fate
Cortés afterwards returned to Mexico, where he spent a large part of his fortune in trying to improve the country. The Spanish king permitted great wrong to be done to Cortés and, like Columbus the discoverer, Cortés the conqueror died neglected by the king whom he had made so rich. For three hundred years the mines of Mexico poured a constant stream of gold and silver into the lap of Spain.
PIZARRO, WHO FOUND THE RICHEST CITY IN THE WORLD
ROUTES OF THE CONQUERORS, CORTÉS AND PIZARRO
Their conquests of Mexico and of Peru brought untold stores of riches to Spain
Pizarro finds great riches in Peru
16. Pizarro's Voyages. Another Spaniard, Francisco Pizarro, dreamed of finding riches greater than De Leon or Cortés had ever heard of. He set out for Peru with an army of two hundred men. Reaching the coast, he started inland and in a few days came to the foot of the Andes. They crossed the mountains and, marching down the eastern side, the Spaniards came upon the Inca, the native ruler, and his army. By trickery they made the Inca a prisoner, put him to death, and then subdued the army. The Spaniards then marched on to Cuzco, the capital of Peru, where they found enormous quantities of gold and silver. Never before in the history of the world had so many riches been found. This great wealth was divided among the Spaniards according to rank. But the greedy Spaniards fell to quarreling and fighting among themselves, and Pizarro fell by the hand of one of his own men.
CORONADO, WHO PENETRATED SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES BUT FOUND NOTHING BUT BEAUTIFUL SCENERY
17. Coronado's Search for Rich Cities. Stories of rich cities to the north of Mexico led Francisco Coronado with a thousand men into the rocky regions now known as New Mexico and Arizona. They looked with wonder at the Grand Cañon of the Colorado, but they found no wealthy cities or temples ornamented with gold and silver.
They pushed farther north into what is now Kansas and Nebraska, into the great western prairies with their vast seas of waving grass and herds of countless buffalo. "Crooked-back oxen" the Spaniards named the buffalo.
Coronado finds no gold or silver
But Coronado was after gold and silver, and cared nothing for beautiful and interesting scenes. Disappointed, he turned southward and in 1542, after three years of wandering, reached home in Mexico. He reported to the King of Spain that the region he had explored was too poor a place for him to plant colonies.
DE SOTO, THE DISCOVERER OF THE MISSISSIPPI
18. The Expedition to Florida. While Coronado and his men were searching in vain for hidden cities with golden temples, another band of men was wandering through the forests farther to the eastward. Hernando de Soto had been one of Pizarro's bravest soldiers. The news that this bold adventurer was to lead an expedition to Florida stirred all Spain. Many nobles sold their lands to fit out their sons to fight under so great a leader.
HERNANDO DE SOTO
After an engraving to be found in the works of the great Spanish historian, Herrera
The Spanish settlers of Cuba gave a joyful welcome to De Soto and to the brave men from the homeland. After many festivals and solemn religious ceremonies, nine vessels, carrying many soldiers, twelve priests, six hundred horses, and a herd of swine, sailed for Florida (1539).
The settlers of Cuba welcome De Soto
What a grand sight to the Indians as the men and horses clad in steel armor landed! There were richly colored banners, beautiful crucifixes, and many things never before seen by the Indians. But this was by far the most cruel expedition yet planned.
The Spaniards' cruelty to the Indians
Wherever the Spaniards marched Indians were seized as slaves and made to carry the baggage and do the hard work. If the Indian guides were false, they were burned at the stake or were torn to pieces by bloodhounds. Hence the Indians feared the Spaniards, and Indian guides often misled the Spanish soldiers on purpose to save the guides' own tribes from harm.
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