In the aftermath of f' discovery of the exciting new continent America, European nations scrambled to claim as much land as they could and expand their empires. African and Asian lands were coveted heavily, but the prospect of a huge, unexplored continent was very tempting to European monarchs seeking wealth. Great Britain was particularly interested in Africa, as were the Dutch. But the Spaniards set their sights on Columbus' newly discovered land. The Spanish conquest of Mexico and southern areas of North America was bloody, violent, and devastating to the indigenous community. Spanish explorer Hernan Cortés stopped at nothing to overpower the stubborn and angry Aztecs.

Cortés landed on Cozumel Island off the coast of Mexico in 1511, and spent several weeks futilely attempting to convert its inhabitants to Christianity. He trained his men to be translators, which proved to be vital to his plot to eventually conquer the Aztec Empire. Cortés became romantically involved with a Mayan woman called Malinche, who spoke fluently the language of her people. Cortés now had the linguistic tools with which he could conquer the Aztecs. Cortés moved swiftly through the Mexican area. When he landed in what is now Veracruz, he was greeted by cheering crowds and dignitaries in full regalia. This first settlement that he encountered was his base of operations. Cortés began to hoard and melt down native gold to send to the King of Spain. He hired natives to do his bidding, and they were often overcome by foreign, Spanish borne diseases.

Cortés forged an alliance with the scattered nation of Tlaxcala, who did not have any centralized government. He took advantage of this and positioned himself as their ruler. The Tlaxcalans were enemies of the warring Aztecs, who had left Tlaxcala unconquered just so they could capture people for their notoriously violent sacrifice rituals. The Spanish alliance with the bitter Tlaxcala tribe proved to be key to the downfall of the Aztecs. They exchanged gifts and agreed to bond together and fight the Aztecs. The two armies marched to the large and affluent Aztec city of Cholula, where a terrible massacre was to occur.

The two armies marched through Cholula. Cortés mistook the city for a center of military operations, when it was in fact a site for religious pilgrimage. Cortés intended to make an example of the Cholula, who he claimed had treated him with disrespect. Reports vary, but historians have been able to confirm with certainty that over twenty thousand Cholulans were killed. The Aztecs, despite their experience with battle, were overcome with fear of the Aztecs and decided to try and submit to the demands of the Spanish in favor of violent death. The Spaniards bullied through present day Mexico into Aztec territory. Cortés demanded gold, or else he would attack again.

When Cortés and his troops marched into the city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec ruler Moctezuma greeted him with immense respect. Moctezuma draped Cortés in garlands of flowers from his personal gardens. This was nearly unheard of from a king who would dine behind a screen so that his own servants could not see him. Moctezuma offered the Spaniards his father's palace. Cortés accepted the gifts, and then imprisoned Moctezuma. Cortés began a reign of terror, pillaging, murdering, and destroying cities up and down the coast. Cortés even personally tortured then murdered the final Aztec Emperor Cuauhtemoc. The invasion of the Spaniards was absolutely devastating to the ancient civilizations inhabiting the area.