Fall of Tenochtitlan 1521
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1521 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | Mexico | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| Coordinates | 19.4350, -99.1314 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Mexica, was an important event in the Spanish conquest of the Mexica. It occurred in 1521 following extensive negotiations between local factions and Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. He was aided by La Malinche, his interpreter and companion, and by thousands of indigenous allies, especially Tlaxcaltec warriors.
Although numerous battles were fought between the Mexica and the Spanish-led coalition, which was composed mainly of Tlaxcaltec men, it was the siege of Tenochtitlan that directly led to the fall of the Aztec civilization and the ensuing sacking and violence against the survivors. The indigenous population at the time was devastated due to a smallpox epidemic, which killed much of its leadership. Because smallpox had been endemic in Spain for centuries, the Spanish had developed an acquired immunity and were affected relatively little in the epidemic.
The conquest of the Mexica was a critical stage in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Fall of Tenochtitlan (revision 1371683304), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Colhuacatonco 1521 · 1 km
- Battle of Tlatelolco 1473 · 2 km
- Siege of Mexico City 1867 · 2 km
- Battle of Chapultepec 1847 · 6 km
- Battle of Molino del Rey 1847 · 6 km
- Battle of Churubusco 1847 · 9 km
Browse more: battles in Mexico · North America · Early modern battles