Show A MEMORABLE DATE THIS date april the is not an unimportant one ODO in the annals of american history it is the anniversary of the day in 1519 on which hernando cortez landed on this continent he embarked disembarked dis on the spot where vera cruz in mexico now stands his army numbered about men he proceeded to the ancient city of mexico laid to it and succeeding in capturing guate mozin the last of the aztec monarchs on august 18 13 1521 in 1536 he visited california and surveyed a great part of the gulf separating it from mexico like columbus he was the victim of repeated conspiracies spira spi oles by rivals for the royal favor of charles V of cortez returned home and gave up all his titles and powers an n mexico in his conquest of mexico cortez was aided by a tradition which prevailed among the aztecs azteca this was that a white god or messiah would come from the east who wh would rule over the azteca aztecs and would inaugurate a millennium of peace harmony prosperity and happiness in fact the tradition was equivalent to what is taught by christians as the second coming of christ cortez was regarded by the aztecs azteca as this white got god and whole tribes allied themselves to his standard the city of mexico at this time had it la is said inhabitants cortez when he reached there had only spaniards besides his indian allies after several years of hard fighting in which cortez was opposed by his own countrymen he finally reduced mexico to subjugation when the war was completed the population was reduced to war and famine had done their work the great capital of the Monte lay in ruins like some huge churchyard with the corpses disinterred and the tombstones scattered about 9 all was not smooth sailing for the conqueror he died in seville a heartbroken disgraced and dishonored man in december 1647 1547 |