Aztec Reaction to Cortés and the Conquistadors

Initially, the Aztecs welcomed Cortés and his men into Tenochtitlan (1519), impressed by their technology and possibly associating them with the returning god Quetzalcoatl. Diplomatic exchanges occurred. However, as Spanish demands grew and their true intentions—conquest and gold—became clear, tensions escalated. The Aztecs eventually resisted, leading to the siege and fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521.