WEBVTT 1 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:23.679 Hello, and welcome to Western Sieve episode two hundred and thirty nine. Heyst 2 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:30.039 Klan. Last time, Cortez threw his orders from Velasquez out the window. 3 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:35.039 Maybe not literally, since there weren't any buildings in Veta Cruz that had any 4 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:40.399 windows yet, but at least figuratively. From this point on, Cortez is 5 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:47.159 gambling on himself. He is hoping that whatever comes next his expedition is going 6 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:53.359 to be so spectacularly successful that it will justify his decision to reject the Governor's 7 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:59.439 authority. For that to work, two things need to happen. First, 8 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:03.760 the expedition he dispatched to Spain to lobby the King needs to be successful. 9 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:11.079 There is, however, nothing he can do about that now. Second, 10 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:19.239 he needs to get to technosh Declan and somehow convince Montezuma to become a vassal 11 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:23.840 of the Spanish crown. He needs to add a huge swath of territory to 12 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:30.280 Spain's ever expanding New World Empire. Ideally, he needs to find gold, 13 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:38.680 a lot of gold. Cortez, quite frankly and to be blunt, needs 14 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:45.480 enough gold to buy himself back into the Crown's good graces. But to make 15 00:01:45.519 --> 00:02:02.040 all that work. First, he needs to get to technosh Declan. Cortes 16 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:07.800 and his quote unquote holy company set out for Technoshti klan on Or about August 17 00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:14.560 eighth, fifteen nineteen. The total fighting force numbered around three hundred. Of 18 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:21.159 those, forty were crossbowmen and twenty hit arquebuses primitive firearms. Most of the 19 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:25.639 company or some kind of armor, generally just padded cotton, but whatever they 20 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:30.520 had, they kept it on them all the time, even to sleep. 21 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:37.280 Along with the conquistadors went eight hundred touch knacks. Generally, these indigenous peoples 22 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:42.240 acted as porters, carrying the equipment, food, immunitions. Most importantly, 23 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:49.080 as I've discussed previously, Cortes took horses, fifteen of them. Throughout the 24 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.080 journey, Cortes slept little. There was much to do, and nearly everywhere 25 00:02:53.080 --> 00:03:00.319 the threat of death was a constant companion. While his boast quote I shall 26 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:04.800 not rest until I have seen Montezuma and observe the quality of this land and 27 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:10.039 quote was certainly an overstatement, I think we can say he rarely slept in. 28 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:17.840 Cortez's message to his men before setting out might not have inspired the most 29 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:24.479 confidence. Quote to conquer the land or die. End quote was the promise 30 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:30.199 he made to his men. I doubt, though, that every man shared 31 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:35.319 his commitment to do or to die. Most would have been happy to grab 32 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:40.240 a sack of gold and sail back to Spain. The distance from Kimplan to 33 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:46.560 Mexico Technoshtiklan, as the Crow flies, is two hundred and fifty miles. 34 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:52.680 The route is varied. The first stretch is flat, hot, tropical, 35 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:57.360 humid, and fertile. In the sixteenth century it would have been heavily forested, 36 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:03.680 dotted with well cultivated plantation of corn. Then beyond Jalapa, the land 37 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:12.400 rises sharply to about six thousand feet the climate becomes temperate. This region is 38 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:17.600 towered over by two mountains, those known to the ancient Mexicans as now Campatello 39 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:26.000 and Stelepatel. The first of these is over thirteen thousand feet high, the 40 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:31.399 second eighteen thousand feet. The next stage of the journey is over a cold, 41 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:36.040 bleak plain. It was at that time dominated by a salt lake and 42 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:42.319 a third mountain. Between that plain and the city of Tenoshti Klan there lies 43 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.879 a further chain of high mountains. There are volcanoes, some of which are 44 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:53.199 named things like quote Smoking Mountain or quote Mountain of the White Woman. Some 45 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:59.319 of these tower up to eighteen thousand feet. The pass between these mountains just 46 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:03.199 under teen thousand, and the land then falls away to the great Lake of 47 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:10.759 Technoshticlon and the central Valley of Mexico, whose height above the sea is seven 48 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:16.240 thousand, four hundred feet. The route to reach Technoshticlon was obviously unknown to 49 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:20.879 Cortez. Throughout the trek, he would be dependent on his Mexican guides. 50 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:27.560 Some early sources claimed these guides deliberately tried to lead Cortez to his death. 51 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:33.680 Whether this was expressly true, certainly his guides took Cortez and a risky, 52 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:39.879 an unlikely route. The plan was to move Jelapa and then plus Scala, 53 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:45.319 but in the sixteenth century there were several massive salt lakes in this region that 54 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:50.000 would have acted as a major impediment to say the least. The whole region 55 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:56.399 through which Cortez had to travel was mostly under the control of the Mexica, 56 00:05:56.759 --> 00:06:00.319 but the region was uneasy to say the least. The region around the city 57 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:05.120 of Cholula had played a pretty big role in the Mexica rise to power as 58 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:12.399 allies, but since then they operated much more like subservient vassals than partners in 59 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:18.480 the same enterprise. Cortes Toltanak guides thought that going through Cholula was the best 60 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:24.720 way, since it might result to more indigenous allies joining the cause. This 61 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:30.160 was important because, as his guides bluntly told Cortes, if he continued traveling 62 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:35.279 to technoshy Klong without more allies, he and his entire company would surely be 63 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:41.720 slaughtered. Not exactly the vote of confidence you want to hear from your guide. 64 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.759 Nonetheless, I should point out that these guides went with Cortes of their 65 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:54.360 own accord, so they had some confidence in the mission. Cortes was traveling 66 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:59.600 in the late summer, so it would have rained every afternoon. This made 67 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:04.360 the paths muddy and made it almost impossible for the party to rest. Montezuma 68 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:12.160 received word of Cortes's movement as soon as his party left come Poland for Jellappa. 69 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.759 The news threw Montezuma into another bout of depression. He did have a 70 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.879 little bit of cause for optimism at this point, though thus far, Cortez 71 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:27.160 continued to present himself as an ambassador didn't seem like he was an enemy despite 72 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.839 his instincts. Therefore, the Mexica Emperor consulted with his astrologers prayed to his 73 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:38.680 gods, who did not take any military action. By August the sixteenth, 74 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:45.680 Cortes had reached Jellappa. Today, this city is only about thirty miles northwest 75 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:50.079 from Vera Cruz. From Jellappa, the comquistadors continued to proceed up the mountains 76 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:57.399 towards the central valley. Everywhere they went for the moment, Montezuma sent instructions 77 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:01.079 that they should be greeted as friends, and so they. The path that 78 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:09.240 Cortez took was later given the name Nombre Dius. The path remains easily traceable 79 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:15.160 today. Eventually the mountain path flattened and widened out, but this wasn't a 80 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:18.680 relief because, as I mentioned earlier, this area beyond the initial stretch of 81 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:24.800 mountains is dominated by a series of massive salt lakes, so there was really 82 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:28.959 no fresh water the region. In fact, while a vassal state of Tennoshti 83 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.159 Klan did not produce any food for tribute, Cortez sought to avoid this barren 84 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:39.399 zone by going to the north, which was rough, but he saw it 85 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:46.320 as less risky. Finally, on August the twenty fourth, Cortez and his 86 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:52.600 party reached the town of Zlata. At this point, Cortez was about one 87 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:58.759 hundred miles from the sea. The chief of Zlata received Quartez with courtesy and 88 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:03.759 respect, as Montezuma had instructed him to do. He provided the conquistadors with 89 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.120 supplies of food. Cortes then asked this chief if he was a vassal of 90 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:15.399 Montezuma. The chief looked surprised. He responded, quote, was there anyone 91 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:20.440 who was not a vassal of Montezuma? And quote? Cortes told him that 92 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.879 there were many people in the world who were not vassals of the Mexica Montezuma. 93 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:28.200 In fact, he didn't know it, but he was about to become 94 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.440 the vassal of a much more powerful king. Maybe you've heard of him, 95 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:37.440 Charles the fifth of Spain. The chief then asked about horses and guns. 96 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:43.679 Cortes told him that the horses could catch anyone they ran after, and that 97 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.200 the guns could kill anyone at a distance. The conquistadors wanted to this, 98 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.399 the chief could only shrug and admit quote well, it must be gods then 99 00:09:56.120 --> 00:10:03.159 end quote from Zlata. Cortes sent four messengers on to Tlascala with offers of 100 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:07.399 friendship. The messengers were to say that he was coming in the name of 101 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:11.720 Charles the Fifth and that he would be happy to assist the Tlascala in their 102 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.159 struggle against the Mexico. After these men left, Cortes stayed in Lata for 103 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:22.480 several days, resting and preparing for the journey to come. Cortes waited a 104 00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:24.879 few days for the messengers, but when they did not return, he continued 105 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.519 on his way. He set off down into the valley with his men in 106 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:35.440 several thousand Tutanak warriors. As they reached the bottom of the mountain, Cortes 107 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.200 was surprised to find a ten foot tall wall that stretched from mountain to mountain. 108 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:48.159 This represented the boundary between plux Scala and Mexico. The wall itself could 109 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.559 not have done much for actual defense. It was more symbolic and spoke volumes 110 00:10:52.559 --> 00:11:00.000 about the mutual distrust between the two peoples. Cortes continued along the wall until 111 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:03.960 he found a gait. At this point he was at the head of the 112 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:07.679 bulk of his forces, with a few horsemen. There, they met a 113 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:13.799 contingent of the flux Skalan army. The army scattered as soon as the horses 114 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:20.360 were close, but Cortes's men gave chase. Cortes shouted after the fleeing Indians, 115 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.120 claiming he didn't want to harm them, he wanted to be their friends. 116 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:33.320 Yet reasonably, they continued to run. Eventually, some of the tluck 117 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:39.159 Scalans turned to fight. Armed with obsidian swords, they slew two of the 118 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:45.600 horses. Cortes collected his remaining wounded and held them back. They needed to 119 00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:52.399 wait for the rest of the army. Cortes buried the horses carefully because he 120 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:56.200 did not want his enemies to know that the horses were not some mythical creatures. 121 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:00.399 But at this point the cats out of the bag and the tluck Scala 122 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:05.720 at least no that they were mortal. The reality remained that Cortez had been 123 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:11.879 able to score a victory over a much more numerically superior force. The victory 124 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:16.440 of a handful of horsemen against a large number of natives wasn't simply the achievement 125 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:20.720 of the horses and their riders. It was also a consequence of Indian tactics, 126 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.879 and it's important to note that's going to play a huge role in the 127 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:30.600 battles to come. The Natives had a tradition of head on combat. In 128 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.840 this sort of style, only the front rank is able to fight. When 129 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.440 that front rank is cut down, the next just kind of steps up, 130 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:41.720 and so on and so forth. If your opponent in this sort of situation 131 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:48.360 has the stamina and maintain themselves, then it's very easy for a handful of 132 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:54.720 people to dispatch hundreds or even thousands. It also makes artillery extremely effective. 133 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.320 Now, killing from a distance seemed dishonorable to the tlok Skalans. It will 134 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:05.159 to the Mexica, but such niceties were lost on the Europeans. They didn't 135 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:09.759 care at all how the person died, just that they did. And the 136 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:16.639 other crucial factor to keep in mind here is the Tlokskolands, like the Maya, 137 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:22.480 like the Mexica, aren't interested in killing on the battlefield, and this 138 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.440 is going to be a major problem and disadvantage that they're going to be at 139 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:33.279 this entire time. What they're trying to do is take victims for sacrifice, 140 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:41.159 so they want to wound. This was a fatal limitation They had an incredible 141 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:46.279 sharp implements made out of obsidian, so they could have dispatched the Spaniards and 142 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:52.480 Europeans had they wanted, But because they held themselves back, it would be 143 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:58.879 their undoing. Now this was the first real battle that Cortez had fought since 144 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:05.919 the Yucatan. The loss of the two horses was significance, but more significant 145 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:11.159 was the realization that he might have to fight at all. But Totanax had 146 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.919 led Cortes to believe that Tlaxcala would make a willing ally. Now it seemed 147 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:22.159 like that might not be the case. Still, without any other choice, 148 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:26.799 the konquistadors continued on their course. That night, they slept out in the 149 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:33.840 open, about twenty miles from the city of Tlaxcala. The city itself was 150 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:39.720 small but densely populated. The total population of Tlexkala, as in the region, 151 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:46.039 was probably around one hundred and fifty thousand people. Flexkala was less a 152 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:52.480 kingdom and more of a collection of towns allied against the Mexica. Once upon 153 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:56.519 a time, the Tlexkala had been a powerful merchants. However, in the 154 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:01.440 early fifteenth century they came into inflict with the Mexica, who restricted their trading 155 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:07.240 activities. Still, they were a proud people who convinced themselves that they were 156 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.799 free, while in reality they were on a political island surrounded by Mexica. 157 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:20.039 Several times they had held out against Mexican armies many times their size. For 158 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:26.559 his part, Montezuma claimed he could conquer Tlexcala whenever he wanted. He let 159 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:31.080 them maintain their semblance of independence so that his people did not forget the need 160 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:37.600 to be ever ready for war. Tlexcala wasn't the only semi independent region within 161 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:41.840 the Mexican Empire, but it was certainly the most important, at least from 162 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:48.240 a military standpoint. When Cortes's messengers had arrived in Tlexcala, they had been 163 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:54.399 ushered in to see a sort of council of elders. These ben listened to 164 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:58.039 what the messengers had to say and then dismissed them to debate the best course 165 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:03.080 of action. Chief was in favor of accepting the Conquistador's overtures of peace, 166 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:08.720 thinking that the Conquistadors might be gods after all. The merchants likewise supported an 167 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:15.240 alliance with the newcomers, hoping that they might restore their mercantile fortunes. The 168 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:19.360 military commanders, however, did not want to take the chance. They argued 169 00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:26.039 that Cortez and his crew should be treated like marauders and destroyed. On September 170 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:32.639 the first, fifteen nineteen, Cortez advanced towards Tlexkala. Eventually he came upon 171 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:38.159 another force of Tlex Colons soldiers. Cortes rode out to read the requermiento, 172 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:45.960 but said soldiers unleashed a volley of arrows and spears and battle ensued. At 173 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:51.679 first, the Spanish seemed to push the Tlex Colon army back with ease into 174 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:57.360 a ravine, but this was a trap. The Tlex Collins had the ravine 175 00:16:57.559 --> 00:17:03.399 surrounded and as soon as the conquista doors entered, they could fire upon the 176 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:11.039 Spaniards from three sides. Eventually, the conquistadors were able to force their way 177 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.720 out of the ravine. Their weapons and their horses helped, but this time 178 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:22.839 Cortes's Toussanak allies deserved most of the credit. Cortes then built a camp, 179 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:29.799 only to receive several messengers from Plex Colla. They told him that tomorrow the 180 00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:33.880 council would deliver their complete decision as to what they were going to do with 181 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:40.880 him. Obviously, Cortez and his men passed a sleepless night, constantly suspecting 182 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:45.359 a night attack, but in the morning, to their surprise, the Tlex 183 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:49.319 Collins sent a huge amount of food rather than an army. Sadly, this 184 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:56.839 was not a peace offering. The idea was that the Telex Collins were sending 185 00:17:56.839 --> 00:18:00.680 them food to sort of fatten them up in advance. Quote. Once they 186 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:04.559 are filled up with food, let us attack, and then we shall eat 187 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:07.680 them. And in that way they will pay us for the turkeys and cakes. 188 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:14.160 We shall then learn why as they came here. If Montezuma is responsible 189 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:18.440 for sending them, let him set them free. If they have come of 190 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:25.519 their own foolhardiness, let them pay and quote. The Tlex Collins assembled their 191 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:30.920 army on a plane in front of the Kunquistadors position on the hill. They 192 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:37.680 were so numerous that they seemed quote large enough to eclipse the sun. A 193 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:42.400 battle then took place. Cortes later claimed that he faced an outrageously specific number 194 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:49.759 of indigenous warriors one hundred forty nine thousand. Certainly, he was outnumbered, 195 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:55.079 and it seemed like the unquistadors came pretty close to total defeat that day. 196 00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:03.880 Quote only the simple use of steel swords saved, recalled one Spaniard. There 197 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.599 was more to it than that. All the European advantages played into their hands. 198 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:14.400 The cannons, even if they missed, caused massive shock and confusion amongst 199 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:18.559 the ranks of Tlex Colin men. Those same warriors didn't have a clue what 200 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:25.839 to do about the horses and the dogs. Moreover, the Telex Colin generals 201 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:30.160 were jealous of each other and did not coordinate their efforts, and finally the 202 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:36.559 Europeans realized that they needed to fire their aqua buses and crossbows slowly. For 203 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:41.759 each shot that landed, ten different Clex Colon warriors fell back in fear. 204 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:47.920 The battle ended in a draw, with each side pulling back Cortes to the 205 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.240 hill the Telex Collins to the plane. The following day, Cortes embarked on 206 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:57.440 another punitive expedition, this time burning towns, one of them with a population 207 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:03.440 of over three thousand many. Once more, his motives seemed to have simply 208 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:08.440 been to shock the local people by fear into surrender. He then returned to 209 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.440 his camp on the hilltop, just in time since the Tlex Collins were mounting 210 00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:18.400 another attack. The second day's battle was much like the first, with the 211 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:25.519 same inconclusive results. About this time, Cortes received the visit of more emissaries 212 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:32.759 from Montezuma, this time five or six chiefs accompanied by servants the Emperor. 213 00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:37.000 Montezuma, they reported, rejoiced at the great victory of the Europeans over the 214 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:42.200 Tlex Collins. He was also delighted that Cortes was now so close to his 215 00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:49.039 city. He sent presents of thousands of pesos worth of gold, some cotton 216 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:56.079 clothes, and several good featherwork pieces. Montezuma also passed on the message that 217 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:00.559 he would be delighted to become a vassal of the Spanish king. Cortes was 218 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:06.880 simply to say how much tribute he thought was appropriate. Montezuma promised to pay 219 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:11.440 that every year in either cloth, gold, silver, or jade. But 220 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:21.799 there was one problem. Montezuma begged Cortez not to come to Mexico. It 221 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:25.720 was not that the Emperor would not have been delighted to see these visitors, 222 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:30.519 but as Montezuma explained, the road was bad. It lay through rough land, 223 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:36.559 and furthermore, his city just didn't have the provisions. He just didn't 224 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:44.000 want the conquistadors to suffer the same emissaries also toward Cortes not to trust the 225 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:48.880 Tlex Collins under any circumstances. Cortes replied that he was determined to go to 226 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:55.799 the city at Tlex Colla. Frankly, privately, he was very happy to 227 00:21:55.839 --> 00:22:00.440 find that the Mexico were on such bad terms with the Tlex Collins. He 228 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:07.359 often quoted quote every kingdom divided against itself, we brought to desolation end quote 229 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:12.720 famous quotation. The Tlex Collins then held another general meeting. After all these 230 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:18.119 inconclusive battles, now there was a dispute. A couple of the generals wanted 231 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:23.839 to continue the fight. Several other generals believed that the conquis Stores were would 232 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:30.359 be powerful military allies, that they should go ahead and form an alliance with 233 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:34.559 them. In the end, the council decided to launch one final attack that 234 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:41.519 night. Cortes anticipated a night attack and didn't give the Telex Collins the chance, 235 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:48.039 attacking at dusk. This time, the battle ended in a decisive European 236 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:55.519 victory. The Tlex Collins were positively terrified at the sight of the horses and 237 00:22:55.640 --> 00:23:00.799 the sound of the guns. They barely held their ground, running back to 238 00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:06.880 their city. Shortly after the battle commenced. Cortes could now advance right up 239 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:11.200 to the city of clex Kala, and he needed an end to the action 240 00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:18.160 to be honest. Though somewhat miraculously, very few conquisadors had died in action, 241 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:23.480 many had died of wounds or succumbed to disease forty five according to some 242 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:30.119 sources. Cortez ultimately did not deny these figures. The men were cold. 243 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:33.319 Also, there was little food, and several were ill. People began to 244 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:38.000 wonder what would be the outcome of all this fighting. If the telex Collins, 245 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:41.359 by the way, could fight so well, then how in the world 246 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:48.039 would the Europeans fair against what would be surely a much more formidable Mexican army. 247 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:52.119 And also, nobody knew what was going on back in Vera Cruz. 248 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:59.000 Cortes's plans were obscure. Sure he had a lot of confidence, but beyond 249 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:03.000 that, there wasn't really a game plan. The people who had left behind 250 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:07.680 families in places like Cuba, expecting to get rich quick. We're probably starting 251 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:12.799 to wonder whether or not this was all worth it. But Cortes was a 252 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:18.880 person who had just an overwhelming amount of chrisma, and I think it's crucial 253 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:25.400 to understand that in this story, time and time again it seems like the 254 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:32.240 odds were totally against him, but by sheer bravado he pushes through. He 255 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:36.000 told his men bluntly at this point that God was on their side. They 256 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:40.480 didn't have to worry about anything. Neither had Alexander the Great nor Caesar. 257 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:45.200 He said to mention all the heroes that could have come before them or afterwards, 258 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:48.960 had ever ventured to throw such a small force as Cortes's against such a 259 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:55.519 large population as evidently existed in Mexico. This was sort of the Saint Crispin's 260 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:59.359 Day speech. This was the you know, everyone is going to remember us 261 00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:03.039 for how powerful that we're going to be. And you know, once again 262 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:07.359 it worked. He was able to calm down his men. He just needed 263 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:11.759 something to happen to prove to them that all of this bravado, all of 264 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:15.640 this gusto, was going to pay off in the end. And luckily for 265 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:19.599 Cortes, he didn't need to wait long for time to prove him right. 266 00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:26.400 One of the Tuxcalan chiefs, who initially opposed piece with Cortes, showed up 267 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:32.400 at his court begging for forgiveness. He told Cortes that they didn't have any 268 00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:37.640 gold or silver, but they wanted to be friends. Nonetheless, Cortes did 269 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:41.079 think about this for a little bit. The Mexica emissaries were still on hand, 270 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:48.039 and they warned him moreover and once again not to trust the Tuxcalans, 271 00:25:47.880 --> 00:25:52.359 that this was a trap, that they were going to kill him. But 272 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:56.160 as I mentioned, Cortes's men were hungry and he were sick. Many were 273 00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:03.440 wounded. He couldn't continue on the present course of action without additional allies, 274 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:10.000 and so ultimately he decided to accept the invitation of the Tlexcalans. He rode 275 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:14.720 into the city, dismounted from his horse and made a deep bow, embracing 276 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:21.160 the most important elder. He didn't just accept their invitation tend to the town. 277 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:26.960 He went with them. The Tlexcalans proved to be dependable. They carried 278 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:32.200 in the Spaniards all their munitions or their guns, everything, and what followed 279 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:38.559 was nothing but feasting and celebration. Cortez and his men entered Plexcala on September 280 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:45.200 eighteenth, fifteen nineteen. The Europeans were lodged by the lords of Flexcala in 281 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:51.799 some quote very pretty houses and palaces end quote. Cortes and his men would 282 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:56.000 spend twenty days there. Now By and large, the complaints of those who 283 00:26:56.039 --> 00:27:02.440 wanted to go home receded once they realized again the Europeans had faced a massive 284 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:06.359 army and again hadn't, at least during the battle, suffered any casualties. 285 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:12.200 The chiefs gave Cortes some information about the remainder of the approach to technosht Klan. 286 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:18.559 While he and his men were over halfway there, they still needed to 287 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:25.240 cross the mountains before reaching the central valley. This was helpful, but not 288 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:32.480 crucial. What was crucial was that Cortes managed to stitch together the terms of 289 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:38.960 a lasting alliance with klak Skala. Without their help, Cortes could not dream 290 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:47.680 of conquering Tshtklan. With their help, Suddenly it seemed possible. And this 291 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:51.960 is such an important point, and it's a refrain I'm going to come back 292 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:56.799 to throughout the story. Most history books, if you read a relatively short 293 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:03.119 description of Cortes's west of Mexico, especially anything that's written from his point of 294 00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:11.920 view, massively downplays the role that Native American indigenous people who allied themselves with 295 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:17.559 the Europeans played. That was where the bulk of the numbers were going to 296 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:22.559 come from in terms of the force that's ultimately going to take down the Mexico. 297 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:26.359 Sure, smallpox is going to play a big part in this too, 298 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:30.079 and I'll talk about that in two or three episodes down the road, But 299 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:37.920 for now, just understand that if Cortes doesn't strike these alliances, conquering Mexico 300 00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:45.400 is not a possibility now. Throughout his stay in plex Gala, Montezuma continued 301 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:49.599 to send ambassadors. Cortez continued to treat with them as friends, and his 302 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:56.920 goal remained quote to reach Tenotklan without fighting end quote. The tlex Collins told 303 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:02.680 Cortez to take the route through Vexo Sinko because the people there were more friendly 304 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:10.240 to Tlexkala. Montezuma's ambassadors continues to suggest the Conquisadors travel through Cholula because those 305 00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:15.480 people were Mexican allies. Ultimately, Cortez decided he would go through Cholula, 306 00:29:17.400 --> 00:29:21.279 but he split the difference a bit, agreeing to the offer of new porters 307 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:26.200 and warriors from Plexkala to accompany him. Probably his reason for going to Cholula 308 00:29:26.359 --> 00:29:30.599 was strategic. It was a powerful city and he didn't want to leave it 309 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:36.880 between himself and the sea. After all, Cortes needed an escape route just 310 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:41.920 in case. But the tlex collins continued to warn Quartz the Cholulans, they 311 00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:47.599 said were conspiring against the Europeans. They were going to block all the exits 312 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:52.039 and hurl stones down from above the moment that Cortez and his men were inside 313 00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:56.680 the city, killing him and his man. It was twenty five miles from 314 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:02.480 Plexcala to Chalula. Quarte has left on October the twelfth, accompanied by a 315 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:07.200 sizable contingent of Tlexcalan warriors. This force might have been as large as several 316 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:14.960 thousand. The lords of Tlexkala warned Cortez he would need every last one because 317 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:18.920 if he met the Mexica in battle, he needed to kill every single one 318 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:23.400 of them. Quote, leaving no one alive, neither the young lest they 319 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:27.960 bear arms again, nor the old lest they give good advice. End quote. 320 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:34.440 The following day, Cortez reached the outskirts of Cholula and several messengers came 321 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:40.119 forward, bearing food in various gifts. They feared. They told the expedition 322 00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:45.400 that Cortez had been told many negative lies about Cholula. You shouldn't believe any 323 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:52.519 of it now. Chalula itself was thousands of years old. It's pyramid housing 324 00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:56.160 the temple to the god Taluk can still be seen. It was taller than 325 00:30:56.200 --> 00:31:00.799 the pyramid to Noshti Klan, making Cholula one of the most important religious sites 326 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:07.279 in all of Mesoamerica. Estimates as to the population vary, Some are as 327 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:11.319 high as two hundred thousand, which are probably too high, but certainly it 328 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:18.440 was the most populous site outside of Tenosh Declan itself. No sooner had Quartels 329 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:23.480 arrived than he was beset by more messengers sent by Montezuma. They begged him 330 00:31:23.559 --> 00:31:30.480 not to go to tenosh Deklan for a variety of reasons. Everything from Montezuma 331 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:36.759 would die of fear if Cortez came to Montezuma evidently had a zoo of ferocious 332 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:41.400 animals who had this nasty habit of escaping and would tear the Europeans apart if 333 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:51.519 they came upon them. Okay, after listening to these I'm going to say 334 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:56.759 threats, Cortez met with several high priests from Cholula to try and ascertain just 335 00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:01.359 what the heck was going on. After he bribed them and subjected them to 336 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:07.240 some torture, they spilled the proverbial beans. Ahead on the road to Tanushti 337 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:14.079 Klan was an army two hundred thousand strong. The plan was for the Chululans 338 00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:19.480 to capture the Europeans and deliver them up to the Mexica. This army was 339 00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:22.920 I guess, sort of a Plan B, because of course, the goal 340 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:25.559 was not to kill the conquistors in combat. The goal was to capture them 341 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:31.160 so they could be sacrificed. Cortes held a discussion with his captains and they 342 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:37.000 came to a decision and a plan that would have made caesare Borgia smile. 343 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:42.400 They called together all the lords of Cholula to the courtyard to the Temple of 344 00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:50.440 quexicoattle There Cortes confronted them about this planned ambush. Evidently, they admitted to 345 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:53.519 it, but insisted that everything had been Montezuma's idea. That they had been 346 00:32:53.519 --> 00:33:00.359 merely acting on orders. At some point, Cortes gave the signal and an 347 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:06.000 arquebus shot out. At this the rest of the Europeans, plus their Tlex 348 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:10.720 Colon and Totanak allies, stormed in. Over the course of several hours, 349 00:33:12.119 --> 00:33:17.559 they massacred everyone inside. Cortes later said that they killed three thousand people that 350 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:24.960 day. Certainly, the spoils afterwards were considerable. Evidently, though not all 351 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:30.680 the Chululand leaders died that day. Afterwards, Cortes brought the remaining leaders before 352 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:37.559 him and laid into them again for their treachery. They blamed Montezuma again and 353 00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:43.240 swore to serve him faithfully from then on. Cortez pardoned them in the hope 354 00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:47.079 that he could make allies out of the Chululands going forward. Now, oddly, 355 00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:52.960 here's just a little asterix of all the atrocities that Cortes would commit over 356 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:55.759 his time in Mexico. This event, at least in Europe, was seen 357 00:33:55.799 --> 00:34:02.039 as the worst at the time. Historians today remained divided over the whole affair. 358 00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:07.199 Some say there was never any plot to ambush the Europeans and that Cortez 359 00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:13.960 essentially just made it up as a justification to murder everyone. Others say the 360 00:34:14.039 --> 00:34:19.519 planned ambush was very real. Still, others argue Cortez only planned on killing 361 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:24.760 a few Chululand leaders, but the whole thing got out of hand. Regardless, 362 00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:30.719 Montezuma sent messengers the next day apologizing for the whole thing. He blamed 363 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:35.519 the Cholulans for everything, claiming that he didn't have anything to do with it. 364 00:34:36.840 --> 00:34:39.920 Montezuma told Cortez that if he did come to Tenushtiklan, he would be 365 00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:46.320 happy to see him come right now. Meanwhile, Montezuma busied himself with ways 366 00:34:46.320 --> 00:35:02.440 to prevent such an exigency from ever coming to fruition the Empire of Mexico. 367 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:07.559 Tenoshti Klan it is only fifty miles from Cholula. The two cities are both 368 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:13.280 about seven and a half thousand feet above sea level, but between them there 369 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:20.360 is one last mountain chain and several volcanoes. Several paths run across these mountains. 370 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:25.880 One path is more than just a pass It's definitely the most difficult track 371 00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:32.199 that you can make. It's a track that passes through lost villages beyond Cholula 372 00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:37.719 before reaching at just under thirteen thousand feet, a place which is now known 373 00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:44.159 as the Pass of Cortez, for it was by this route that the Conquisadors 374 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:50.480 made their first approach to Techno Clan. Cortez chose this route not because it 375 00:35:50.519 --> 00:35:54.159 was easy, but because it was the one he thought least to be expected 376 00:35:54.639 --> 00:36:02.280 and therefore the least likely to be blocked by the Mexican Cortez left Cholula around 377 00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:07.400 the first of November fifteen nineteen. The Totanas decided to return home at this 378 00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:13.280 point, which reduced the number of auxiliary forces somewhat, but not significantly. 379 00:36:14.360 --> 00:36:20.480 Cortez still had around one thousand telex scollands, and every source suggests that Cortes 380 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:24.280 and his remaining allies were very confident as they left Cholula and made the final 381 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:30.280 push for ten Loshtiklang. From Cholula, Cortes march to Kaplan, a substantial 382 00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:36.880 town in and of itself. They told Cortez shortly as he reached the town 383 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:40.440 that he was going to approach two different paths. One way would be blocked 384 00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:45.159 up by felled trees, the other appeared clear. They needed to move the 385 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:52.719 trees and proceed down the blocked path. The Mexica planned an ambush down the 386 00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:59.360 unblocked and cleared path, so the next day Cortez continued his march ten miles 387 00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:05.599 into the mounts. He was now several thousand feet above sea level. After 388 00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:09.159 resting overnight, they set out again in November the second and quickly came upon 389 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:14.360 the fork in the road that had been mentioned. This is the thing that 390 00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:19.159 the people of a Plan had warned him about, and sure enough, one 391 00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:23.400 of the two paths was blocked by felled trees. Cortes turned to his Mexican 392 00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:28.920 emissaries and asked him why were the two roads and why was one blocked? 393 00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:36.480 These gentlemen, fearful of their lives that they should eventually reach Tegnoshti Klan explained 394 00:37:36.679 --> 00:37:39.760 that the blocked path had been left so to dissuade people from going along it, 395 00:37:40.239 --> 00:37:44.760 because it was a windy path, less erect and with bad stretches. 396 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:51.000 Cortes insisted on going by that path and ordered the Telex colons to move the 397 00:37:51.039 --> 00:37:54.320 trees and other obstacles which had been laid across it. They made short work 398 00:37:54.360 --> 00:38:00.559 of things, and Cortes's army continued down that path. After resting for the 399 00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:05.599 night. The Europeans continued. The following day, the weather was a little 400 00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:08.480 bit better than it had been previously. Now, for the first time ever, 401 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:13.639 the Europeans were able to look down from the mountains into the central valley 402 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:20.440 of Mexico. Now just inside this new territory owned by Chalka, the Europeans 403 00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:25.719 were met by another delegation from Montezuma. This delegation was led by a nobleman 404 00:38:25.880 --> 00:38:30.440 who had been instructed by Montezuma to dress as the emperor and pretend to be 405 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:35.639 him. Montezuma seems to have thought that maybe the Europeans would be happy to 406 00:38:35.719 --> 00:38:40.639 withdraw once they had, as they supposed, seen him. He was followed 407 00:38:40.679 --> 00:38:45.320 by magicians whom Montezuma had previously believed to make the whole thing go away. 408 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:52.639 He also brought a variety of presents gold streamers, quetzal feathers, golden necklaces. 409 00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:55.280 Now the Europeans, of course, were more than happy to receive the 410 00:38:55.320 --> 00:39:00.440 gold. One recording of their reaction reads his follow quote. When they were 411 00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:05.559 given the gifts, they appeared to smile, to rejoice exceedingly like monkeys. 412 00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:08.840 They seized upon the gold. It was as if they were satisfied, sated, 413 00:39:08.880 --> 00:39:14.079 and gladdened. For in truth, they thirsted mightily for gold. They 414 00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:17.519 stuffed themselves with it, and starved and lusted for it Like pigs. They 415 00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:22.800 went about moving the gold streamer back and forth and showed it to one another, 416 00:39:22.039 --> 00:39:29.280 all the while babbling what they said was gibberish. End quote. Now 417 00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:32.039 the Europeans were at first really impressed by this nobleman, and they had asked 418 00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:37.280 their Tlexcalan allies, is this Montezuma. The tlex Scalans told them no, 419 00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:44.159 it was not. They then asked this gentleman the same question. He replied, 420 00:39:44.199 --> 00:39:46.599 confusingly, quote, yes, I am your servant. I am Montezuma. 421 00:39:46.679 --> 00:39:52.719 End quote. The Europeans reportedly laughed, and Cortez apparently said, quote, 422 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:55.519 go home. Why do you allie to us whom you take us to 423 00:39:55.519 --> 00:40:00.239 be. You can mock us, nor make a stupid nor flatter us, 424 00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:04.239 nor become our eyes, nor trick us, nor misdirect our gaze, nor 425 00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:07.599 turn us back, nor destroy us, nor dazzle us, nor cast mud 426 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:12.159 in our eyes. You are not heat and at least according to the indigenous 427 00:40:12.199 --> 00:40:15.559 sources. Cortes continued, quote, now, Montezuma cannot hide from us. 428 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:19.679 He cannot take refuge from us. Where, after all, can he go? 429 00:40:20.119 --> 00:40:22.119 Is he perhaps a bird that he can fly away? Or can he 430 00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:27.519 burrow under the earth? Is there somewhere a mountain pierced by a hole which 431 00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:30.119 he can enter? We shall see him, We shall not fail to look 432 00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:34.000 him in the face. We shall hear what he has to say. End 433 00:40:34.039 --> 00:40:38.880 quote. So, needless to say, the delegation didn't stop Cortez, and 434 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:45.519 so Montezuma back into Nosti Klan again met with his Supreme Council. There was 435 00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:50.440 further discussion as to whether they should welcome the Europeans. Most of the major 436 00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:53.559 lords were against it. Montezuma seems to have, at least for the moment, 437 00:40:53.960 --> 00:40:58.519 decided once and for all that they should prevent the Europeans from entering his 438 00:40:58.639 --> 00:41:02.280 sea. He told the men assembled quote, we must not hide, nor 439 00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:07.800 flee, nor show cowardice. And let us not imagine that the Mexican glory 440 00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:10.760 is going to perish here. We are now resolved to die in the defense 441 00:41:10.840 --> 00:41:19.119 of Technostclan endquote. Now, all the while, Cortes continued to advance towards 442 00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:23.000 Technosht Clan. On November the fifth, Cortes reached the city of Chalco. 443 00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:29.239 This was a small town on the edge of the Great Lake system. This 444 00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:35.000 was the first time how the Europeans had seen the massive lake that dominated the 445 00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:43.400 central valley. While Cortes stopped, Montezuma again met with his lords. Montezuma 446 00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:47.039 now seems to have gotten forlorn and fatalistic. Again, he told two of 447 00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:52.239 his lords as follows, quote, Oh, mighty lords, it is fitting 448 00:41:52.280 --> 00:41:54.239 that the three of us should be here to receive the gods, And therefore 449 00:41:54.599 --> 00:41:58.679 I wish to find solace with you, and also to bid you farewell. 450 00:41:59.239 --> 00:42:02.320 How little did we enjoy the realms which were bequeathed to us by our ancestors, 451 00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:07.039 they mighty kings and lords, as they were left this world in peace 452 00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:10.719 and harmony. But what was coming to us? How do we deserve this 453 00:42:10.800 --> 00:42:15.639 fate? How did we offend the gods? Who are these men who have 454 00:42:15.719 --> 00:42:20.320 come? Whence have they really come? Who showed them the way? There 455 00:42:20.440 --> 00:42:24.079 is only one remedy. We must make our hearts strong to bear what is 456 00:42:24.079 --> 00:42:31.800 about to happen, for they are at our gates end quote Montezuma. For 457 00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:37.280 all this continued to try to stave off the moment of their arrival, and 458 00:42:37.440 --> 00:42:40.480 maybe he thought the end of the world. While Cortez was at Chalco, 459 00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:46.360 the Emperor sent another delegation. This was headed by four Mexican chiefs, who, 460 00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:51.960 as usual, brought more gold and more cloth. The Emperor, they 461 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:54.840 said, was very sorry not to have come to Greek Cortes himself, but 462 00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:59.840 unfortunately he was sick. They, at the other hand, were at the 463 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:05.360 European's disposal. Montezuma was concerned at the hardships which they had endured in coming 464 00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:08.760 to see him. He had already sent to Cortes much gold and jade for 465 00:43:08.840 --> 00:43:14.360 this distant Christian king and for the gods in whom he knew the Christians believed. 466 00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:20.840 He now once more begged Cortes not to come to Technoso Declan. There 467 00:43:20.840 --> 00:43:23.480 really was no food for them. The road to it was atrocious. The 468 00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:29.440 best way of coming was by canoe, and that was dangerous. In fact, 469 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:34.400 all the people inside Technos Declan were protesting against the idea of having the 470 00:43:34.440 --> 00:43:39.039 Europeans stay. If Cortes would just turn around, if he would just go 471 00:43:39.159 --> 00:43:45.599 home, these lords said, Montezuma promised that he would deliver him regular tributes 472 00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:52.679 of gold every year, deposited wherever Cortez specified, Cortez, for his part, 473 00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:58.360 offering his usual presence of useless glass beads, so that he was surprised 474 00:43:58.679 --> 00:44:02.320 that Montezuma could be so consistent. Now that he and his army had traveled 475 00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:06.960 so far and were almost insight of Technos Declan, how in the world could 476 00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:12.480 they possibly turn around? How could they return? He was going to continue, 477 00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:19.000 and so the following day Cortes reached Ishtallapa, the last city before Technos 478 00:44:19.079 --> 00:44:24.199 Declan. It had a population of around fifteen thousand and was only five miles 479 00:44:24.280 --> 00:44:30.159 now from the capital city. The next day, the eighth of November, 480 00:44:30.480 --> 00:44:35.880 Cortes started along the main causeway to technosh Declan in elaborate order, with four 481 00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:40.079 horsemen in traditional European armor out front than his standard bearer, than a contingent 482 00:44:40.119 --> 00:44:45.800 of infantry withdrawn swords, and a few more horsemen, and finally himself. 483 00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:52.159 The great broad causeway led Europeans to their destination at last. It was so 484 00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:58.360 wide that, according to Cortes, eight horsemen could ride along it abreast. 485 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:06.159 European expedition, of course, made an immense impression the Mexico were much impressed 486 00:45:06.159 --> 00:45:10.199 by the steel swords and lances, both of which flash brightly, to say 487 00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:16.119 nothing of the horses and the dogs. The crossbowmen and arquebusiers were seen to 488 00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:21.920 be wielding their weapons and making as if to test them. Behind Cortes, 489 00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:25.800 his Indian allies made noises as if preparing for war, shrieking, hitting their 490 00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:30.000 mouths with their hands, whistling and shouting. But if the lake dwellers were 491 00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:37.119 fascinated, Cortez and his men also were in total awe. In front of 492 00:45:37.159 --> 00:45:40.480 them. LA's city as large as anyone in the party had ever seen, 493 00:45:42.719 --> 00:45:46.199 though Naples in Constantinople, with over two hundred thousand people each, were close. 494 00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:52.159 But the vast majority of people in Cortes's expedition would never have seen either 495 00:45:52.159 --> 00:45:57.719 one of those cities. Most had never seen a city any bigger than Seville 496 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:01.480 in the Old World. Only the cities in China, which of course no 497 00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:06.599 member of the expedition would have known about, would have greatly exceeded the capital 498 00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:12.199 of Mexico in size. The Europeans were also impressed by the vast number of 499 00:46:12.199 --> 00:46:15.960 canoes which they saw in the lake, many of them large, some carrying 500 00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:20.679 up to sixty people, and all hollowed out of tree trunks. Many were 501 00:46:20.679 --> 00:46:22.880 paddled close to the causeway to allow their owners to have a good look at 502 00:46:22.880 --> 00:46:29.719 the visitors. The Konquist Doors thought that the numerous stucco covered pyramids with their 503 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:34.320 temples on the top platforms for display of the shrines of the gods on the 504 00:46:34.400 --> 00:46:37.960 islands, as well as technosty Klan were, in the words of one quote, 505 00:46:38.079 --> 00:46:44.800 castled fortresses, splendid monuments, royal dwelling places, glorious heights. How 506 00:46:44.840 --> 00:46:49.320 marvelous it was to gaze upon them, all stuccoed, carved and crowned with 507 00:46:49.480 --> 00:46:53.400 various different types of Merlin's, painted with animals, covered with stone figures end 508 00:46:53.440 --> 00:46:59.320 quote. But Cortes and the other members of the expedition couldn't help but notice 509 00:46:59.360 --> 00:47:02.960 one other aspect of the architecture of Technos Declan. As they walked along the 510 00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:07.880 causeway, they would have noticed a series of wooden planks or drawbridges which could 511 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:13.960 have been pulled up. The purpose of these planks was to allow canoes to 512 00:47:13.960 --> 00:47:16.199 pass from one side of the lake to the other, but there was another 513 00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:22.960 they realized, more nefarious purpose. The planks could be taken away, effectively 514 00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:28.559 sealing the city from outside attack, or in the converse, sealing those within. 515 00:47:30.000 --> 00:47:32.360 No doubt, Cortes and his men shared a nervous glance as they rode 516 00:47:32.360 --> 00:47:37.679 across. About a mile and a half short of the main gate, the 517 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:42.400 causeway ended and the houses of the city began. This was the traditional place 518 00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:46.440 for greeting returning heroes. There a crowd of richly dressed Mexicans came out to 519 00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:51.800 meet the Europeans. They performed a lengthy traditional greeting and then went on together 520 00:47:51.840 --> 00:47:57.960 to Technoso Declan. Montezuma, despite everything, had decided to meet Cortes. 521 00:47:59.280 --> 00:48:02.239 Whatever he might believed about the man he was about to meet. The Mexican 522 00:48:02.280 --> 00:48:08.760 tradition of hospitality. One out Montezuma came forward on a litter with a canopy 523 00:48:08.760 --> 00:48:15.960 of green feathers and so much gold and silver embroidery it sparkled in the sun. 524 00:48:16.119 --> 00:48:22.320 The litter itself was carried by noblemen. Other noblemen busied themselves sweeping the 525 00:48:22.360 --> 00:48:25.599 ground in front. A man walked before the emperor, carrying his stick to 526 00:48:25.639 --> 00:48:32.320 mark his authority. Montezuma himself probably wore an embroidered cloak with a green feathered 527 00:48:32.320 --> 00:48:38.360 headdress and on his feet gold decorated sandals. The litter was decorated with flowers, 528 00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:45.280 cacao blossoms, wreaths, garlands, and golden neckbands. The emperor was 529 00:48:45.320 --> 00:48:50.800 well prepared with presents. His welcome was given by another group of lords assembled 530 00:48:50.800 --> 00:48:54.880 in two columns down the street. After all this was done, Montezuma descended 531 00:48:54.880 --> 00:49:00.559 from the litter. Cortes dismounted from his horse. Cortez moved and made to 532 00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:07.119 embrace him quote in a Spanish fashion, probably a hug, but Montezuma's attendant 533 00:49:07.119 --> 00:49:10.920 stepped in. In the end, the two men simply shook hands. According 534 00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:15.800 to Cortes and other Spanish witnesses, the greeting was very formal. Cortez apparently 535 00:49:15.800 --> 00:49:21.840 said something like art thou he art thou Montezuma, to which Montezuma simply replied, 536 00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:25.719 yes, I am he. After the formal greeting was over, Cortez 537 00:49:25.760 --> 00:49:30.440 and his men proceeded into technochet Klan. There they would be housed in one 538 00:49:30.440 --> 00:49:35.159 of the royal palaces, and Montezuma told him that he would be back later 539 00:49:35.199 --> 00:49:38.679 on to see how things were going. Now. Montezuma did in fact return 540 00:49:38.800 --> 00:49:43.599 later to the place that Cortez was staying. He then made a speech that 541 00:49:43.679 --> 00:49:46.880 Cortez would later report back to Charles the Fifth and which has been a matter 542 00:49:46.920 --> 00:49:52.920 of controversy ever since. Montezuma began with a repetition of the words of welcome, 543 00:49:53.159 --> 00:49:58.639 as usual on all formal occasions. Quote our lord, you must be 544 00:49:58.679 --> 00:50:01.320 tired, you've experienced fatigue, but you have arrived at your city. End 545 00:50:01.360 --> 00:50:08.360 quote. What Montezuma said next remains a matter of controversy. It's important to 546 00:50:08.440 --> 00:50:15.360 kind of interrupt this narrative to discuss the sources. So ten months later Cortez 547 00:50:15.440 --> 00:50:17.760 was going to write down everything that he thought happened and sent a letter to 548 00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:24.559 Charles the Fifth. He said that on that day Montezuma recognized in his speech 549 00:50:24.599 --> 00:50:31.519 in November fifteen nineteen that in fact, the Europeans were long lost gods or 550 00:50:31.599 --> 00:50:40.320 leaders whose return he had both expected and feared. Cortez reported that Montezuma admitted 551 00:50:40.360 --> 00:50:45.639 that the Mexica were in the beginning foreigners and had been led to the Valley 552 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:50.760 of Mexico by a lord. That they had been vassals too. Then, 553 00:50:50.840 --> 00:50:54.480 Cortez went on because Montezuma, according to him, described how quote, the 554 00:50:54.599 --> 00:51:00.239 Lord brought us the Mexica to technosh Declan, and then went away to his 555 00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:05.239 native land. After a long time, he returned found the people whom he 556 00:51:05.280 --> 00:51:07.800 had married locally and had children, and had built towns on which to live. 557 00:51:08.800 --> 00:51:13.400 When he wished to lead them onward, they were reluctant, and he 558 00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:16.880 did not even wish to recognize them as leader end quote. So he went 559 00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:22.400 away again, quoting now again, And we have always held that those who 560 00:51:22.440 --> 00:51:28.920 descended from him would one day come back and take us as vassals. So 561 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:35.760 in essence, Montezuma was recognizing Charles the Fifth through Cortez as his vassal, 562 00:51:36.119 --> 00:51:38.239 believing them to be God's. But we'll talk about that more in a second. 563 00:51:39.320 --> 00:51:44.960 Montezuma was said by Cortes again to have added quote, So be assured 564 00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:47.519 that we will obey you and hold you as our lord in the stead of 565 00:51:47.519 --> 00:51:51.920 that great Lord. In that there will be no mistake or deception of any 566 00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:54.639 kind. And in all the land which I hold my power, you can 567 00:51:54.679 --> 00:51:59.079 command as you will, for you will be obeyed. And since you are 568 00:51:59.119 --> 00:52:02.159 in your native country and in your own house, enjoy yourself and rest from 569 00:52:02.199 --> 00:52:12.239 the labor of your battles. So that's Cortez's account. Several other conquistadors wrote 570 00:52:12.239 --> 00:52:16.840 of the affair a bit differently in their accounts. Bernard Diaz, for example, 571 00:52:17.000 --> 00:52:22.800 who also wrote in the fifteen fifties in Guatemala and Spain, recorded the 572 00:52:22.800 --> 00:52:29.800 speech quite shortly. Montezuma, he said, this is Diaz insisted that quote 573 00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:32.159 now that he had us with him, he was at our service, and 574 00:52:32.280 --> 00:52:36.880 he would give us all that he possessed, and that it was surely true 575 00:52:37.199 --> 00:52:40.599 that we were those whom his ancestors had spoken of when they talked of men 576 00:52:40.760 --> 00:52:45.400 who would come from where the sun rose to rule over the territory end quote. 577 00:52:45.599 --> 00:52:52.159 Father Aguilar, another eyewitness, who wrote in Elscritio this is back in 578 00:52:52.199 --> 00:52:58.519 Spain in the fifteen sixties, went further than Cortez in describing how Montezuma acted. 579 00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:04.559 He's said that Montezuma announced himself before a notary no less to be King 580 00:53:04.800 --> 00:53:07.840 of Castile's vassal, declared that he would serve him as he would his own 581 00:53:07.920 --> 00:53:13.000 lord, that the Europeans were welcome, that they had come home, and 582 00:53:13.039 --> 00:53:16.559 that his ancestors had always said that armed bearded men would one day come out 583 00:53:16.559 --> 00:53:20.639 of the sunrise who were not to be fought against, since they were the 584 00:53:20.679 --> 00:53:27.119 future lords of the earth. Father. Aguilar added that Mountezuma quote believed us 585 00:53:27.119 --> 00:53:34.239 to be immortals and called us dueles that his God's end quote. Aguilar, 586 00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:40.320 however, was probably confusing this occasion with another one in January fifteen twenty that 587 00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:45.880 I will talk about in an upcoming episode. To some extent, this speech 588 00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:51.760 is confirmed by Mexico sources. The so called Cronica X, written in Natal 589 00:53:52.199 --> 00:53:57.880 in the fifteen thirties, recounts the speech and does include the elements of submission. 590 00:53:59.519 --> 00:54:06.679 Certainly Cortez was ruthless and devious, but it is unlikely that he would 591 00:54:06.679 --> 00:54:12.199 have just fabricated this speech out of whole cloth. Had he done so, 592 00:54:12.440 --> 00:54:15.519 he surely would have been denounced by other members of the expedition in the blaming 593 00:54:15.719 --> 00:54:22.159 and in fighting that was going to follow. It is worth noting that in 594 00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:28.599 his letters back to Spain, Cortes never directly mentions that Montezuma believed he was 595 00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:34.440 a physical God. For my part, I think the submission speech was helpful 596 00:54:34.480 --> 00:54:42.599 for Cortez, but it didn't change anything, had Montezuma rejected Spain's authority. 597 00:54:42.719 --> 00:54:45.440 It's not as though Cortez would have just shrugged, turned to his men and 598 00:54:45.480 --> 00:54:50.760 said, oh well, boys, guess it's back to Spain. All at 599 00:54:50.800 --> 00:54:54.760 home, Cortez replied, through Marina, of course, his translator quote quote, 600 00:54:55.000 --> 00:54:59.079 have confidence, Montezuma, I fear nothing. We love you greatly. 601 00:54:59.159 --> 00:55:02.400 Our heart today is well satisfied. We will see you in your face. 602 00:55:02.480 --> 00:55:06.599 We hear you. We have wished for a long time to see you, 603 00:55:06.639 --> 00:55:12.960 to hear you, to speak in person now. Interestingly, the Mexican Emperor 604 00:55:12.960 --> 00:55:16.960 and his nobility were probably just as surprised with the fact that Cortez was using 605 00:55:17.199 --> 00:55:22.239 a female interpreter, a young female interpreter, as the fact that a bunch 606 00:55:22.280 --> 00:55:25.599 of Europeans had just shown up. They would have been informed, of course, 607 00:55:25.920 --> 00:55:30.079 about the existence of Medina from their agents, but they would have never 608 00:55:30.199 --> 00:55:35.920 seen her or heard her at her work. As with the spokesman on the 609 00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:38.840 coast, they would have been amazed since she was a woman. They would 610 00:55:38.840 --> 00:55:45.599 have never seen a woman interpreter before. All that being said, the date 611 00:55:45.679 --> 00:55:52.880 was November eighth, fifteen nineteen, and Cortes was finally inten lush declan. 612 00:55:54.760 --> 00:55:58.679 If you're interested in more content, check out the link to the website in 613 00:55:58.719 --> 00:56:04.519 the show notes. If you'd like the whole story of Western Sieve all over 614 00:56:04.599 --> 00:56:08.079 again, except especially in the beginning, better audio quality and more detail, 615 00:56:08.920 --> 00:56:14.360 check out the free link to Western Sieve two point zero in the show notes. 616 00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:20.000 And if you'd like add free versions of the show, check out the 617 00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:22.559 Patreon page. You can get them for a dollar a month until next time.