Cortés governs New Spain (Mexico) (1 ottob 1523 anni – 9 dic 1528 anni)

Descrizione:

- Aztec leaders and priests were hanged
- Aztec temples and other important buildings were torn down
- Leaders of other tribes were killed if they didn't show Cortés where to find gold
- Remaining leaders were forced to give tribute to the Spanish so that they knew they had to be loyal to Spain
- Mexico City was built on top of Tenochtitlan
- The encomienda system was enforced in New Spain
- Conquistadors were sent around the country and encouraged to set up new cities/villlages
- Agriculture was developed (Cortés wanted New Spain to be able to be independent from the rest of the New World)
- Industries (gunpowder, sugar and textiles) were developed
- Friars were sent around the country to convert native people to Christianity

Unlike in a lot of other places in the New World, life under the Spanish was not that different. The Aztecs had also had hierarchical systems, tributes, crop farming and a formal writing system. Some people embraced the religious change (as they believed that the fact that the Spanish had won the war meant that their religion was superior), but a lot of people struggled to believe in monotheism and continued to secretly worship Aztec gods.

However, for other tribes, they had hoped that the Spanish would save them from the Aztecs, not just be new versions of them. On top of this, the Aztecs had allowed them to live outside of their society, but the Spanish forced them to be a part of theirs. The Spanish also gave them smallpox.

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