Alternate History: If Cortés Had Not Defeated Moctezuma

Possible Scenarios

1. Aztec Empire Survives: Continues dominating Mesoamerica, possibly expanding.
2. Spanish Expelled: Without indigenous allies or with stronger Aztec resistance, Cortés retreats; no large colony.
3. Small Spanish Foothold: Limited to a trading post or fort, not territorial control.
4. More Diverse Americas: Multiple indigenous civilizations persist; European influence far weaker.
5. Global Ripple Effects: Spanish Empire diminished; world history radically altered—no Mexican silver flood, different colonial map.

The conquest was a pivotal hinge; its failure would have reshaped the hemisphere and the world.