The Conquest of Tenochtitlan: A Tale of Power and Alliances

In 1519, Hernan Cortes, a conquistador and the Chief Magistrate of Santiago, Cuba, a land already settled by the Spanish, landed on the coast of Mexico with 450 soldiers to lead an expedition in hopes of riches. There were previous reports of a great empire and gold in the area. On his way to the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, Cortes fought and defeated other Mexican tribes, who then became the Spaniards’ allies. Many of the tribes that Cortes came in contact with were ruled by the Aztecs and resented the power they had over them. Those tribes saw working with the Spanish as an opportunity to defeat the Aztecs and to gain power for themselves.
On November 8, 1519, Cortes, his men, and his native Mexican allies were welcomed into Tenochtitlan

Cortes left Tenochtitlan to deal with the Governor. He ambushed the Governor's troops, forced them to surrender, imprisoned the governor, and integrated the newly arrived soldiers into his own army and returned to Tenochtitlan.
While he was away, the Spanish soldiers in Tenochtitlan massacred 10,000 Aztecs during a festival, according to one source. The atrocity turned the Aztecs in the city and in the surrounding lands against the Spanish. They drove the Spanish into one of the palaces. Cortes, his new troops, and native allies managed to get to the other Spaniards in the palace. The Aztecs prevented the Spanish from getting any supplies, and finding no use for him, the Spanish killed Moctezuma.
After a difficult and bloody escape from Tenochtitlan, Cortes and his men regrouped in the area around the Aztec capital. Cortes visited tribes that were conquered and controlled by the Aztecs to try and win allies. He was willing to promise them anything so he could take over Tenochtitlan, though the Spanish government later denied any rights those tribes claimed to land or riches. Because of the harsh rule of the Aztecs, the Spanish gained the support of a large number of