The Spanish colonization of Mexico began with Hernán Cortés's expedition in 1519 and led to the dramatic fall of the powerful Aztec Empire. This video breaks down how a small force of conquistadors ...

During Cortes’s absence, Alvarado’s execution of many Aztec chiefs enraged the people. After defeating Velázquez’s forces, Cortés returned to Tenochtitlan on June 24, 1520, to find the ...