On This Day… The Capture Of The Last Aztec Emperor
Written by: George Chittenden : 26 May 2019
It was on this day, 13th August, back in 1521 when the last Aztec Emperor, Cuauhtémoc, was captured by the Spanish signalling the end of the Aztec Empire. Cuauhtémoc ascended to the throne at the age of 25, only because the Spanish had already arrived in South America and with them they’d brought deadly smallpox, which devastated the New World and the poor Aztecs. Cuauhtémoc became ruler to replace Cuitlahuac who had died from smallpox.
So why Cuauhtémoc? Well interestingly leadership didn’t pass from father to son, like medieval England for example. In Aztec culture, the most able candidates among the high noblemen were selected and to qualify you needed to be a warrior who had captured enemies for sacrifice. The final candidate was then selected by vote by the highest noblemen. Cuauhtémoc had only been ruler for one year before his capture.
Cuauhtémoc was captured following the Spanish siege of the capital of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan. Cuauhtémoc surrendered to Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés and asked the Conquistador to end his life. Cortés refused because Cuauhtémoc had defended his city and deserved respect. It was several years later in 1522 when Cortés had Cuauhtémoc executed for allegedly conspiring to kill him and other Spaniards, finally delivering the final blow to the Aztec Empire and ending an era.
Search
By Era
To 5000 BCE 5000 - 2000 BCE 2000 BCE - 0 0 - 400 CE 400 - 800 CE 800 - 1100 CE 1100 - 1500 CE 1500 - 1700 CE 18th Century 19th Century 1900's 1910's 1920's 1930's 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2010'sBy Topic
Royal British Roman North American Egyptian Nautical European Social WW1 Military Viking Asian African Australian South American Political Celebrity WW2 Religion
We promote history by...
offering free articles and videos, providing free history experiences for children in schools and on weekends. Next year we will be visiting hospitals and providing unforgettable experiences to children who really need it and give them a chance to forget their condition, their treatment and their reality.
Please join others who support our free projects by giving a small donation. We can only continue our great work with your help.
