Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer who came to Tenochtitlán with a small army of followers. He was rumored to be the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, coming to reclaim his land. Not sure what to make of this rumor, the emperor Montezuma II greeted him warmly with gold and other gifts, hoping that then he would leave. But, the gifts had the opposite affect on Cortés. The lavish presents only strengthened his thirst to conquer the civilization. He took captive of Montezuma, imprisoning him in his own palace. Later, the Aztec people rebelled against Cortés, throwing rocks and other items at the palace where Cortés was, coincedentally the same where Montezuma was staying. It is not known whether Montezuma II was killed by the ambush of his own people or murdered on Cortés' orders. However, the Aztec empire soon fell, and the Spaniards built an new city, Mexico City, on Tenochtitlán's ruins.