Final answer:
Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519, took Aztec emperor Moctezuma II prisoner, faced resistance, and after a gruesome conflict and alliance with other native groups, conquered Tenochtitlán in 1521.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Happened When Cortés Arrived in Mexico?
When Hernán Cortés arrived on the coast of Mexico in 1519, he found a complex society brimming with internal conflict and ready for change. Initially welcomed by the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II with gifts, Cortés took Moctezuma prisoner, using him in an attempt to control the Aztec people. The conflict escalated when Cortés's men massacred people during a religious ritual at the Great Temple. Chaos ensued, Moctezuma was killed, possibly by his own citizens, and the Spanish were driven out of Tenochtitlán. Cortés returned with reinforcements, including native allies such as the Tlaxcalans, and after a brutal siege, Tenochtitlán surrendered on August 13, 1521, falling to Spanish rule.
The fall of Tenochtitlán marked the downfall of the Aztec Empire and the beginning of Spanish dominance in the region. Cortés's conquest was aided by the introduction of smallpox and the collaboration with other native groups who resented Aztec rule. This historic event has been documented through Spanish chronicles, including those by Cortés and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, but it is also told from the indigenous perspective in sources like Broken Spears, offering a more complex narrative of conquest.