Indian and Spanish Encounters in the Americas, 1520–1530

The arrival of Europeans in the Americas in the fifteenth century reshaped the society, culture, and economy of the entire world. For the Indians who had inhabited the region for thousands of years, these encounters began a story of devastation. Europeans came in search of wealth and glory. They brought with them superior firepower and, more significantly, deadly diseases. The Indian population declined rapidly and dramatically, a demographic catastrophe that allowed the Europeans to achieve their imperial aims. After the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán in 1521, Spain emerged as the world’s preeminent empire.

On the local level, the Columbian exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between Europe, Africa, and the Americas meant a clash of distinct cultures (see Documents 1.6 and 1.8). Confident in their superiority, the Spanish questioned the Indians’ religions, social norms, and work habits. They sought to impose Catholicism and control the Indians’ labor, and they used extreme violence to reach these ends (see Documents 1.5). The Indians tried to resist the imposition of Spanish culture, but the military and biological advantages of the Europeans, along with divisions within the Indians’ own ranks, undermined their efforts (see Documents 1.6 and 1.7). Although the Indians achieved some victories against the European intruders, their way of life was permanently altered (see Document 1.8).

The following documents explore early contact between Europeans, specifically the Spanish, and Indians, primarily the Aztecs. As you read, consider the many levels of cultural misunderstanding and misinterpretation that occurred when these worlds collided.