Editing Tenochtitlan (section)

===Conquest===
[[File:Conquista-de-México-por-Cortés-Tenochtitlan-Painting.png|thumb|upright=1.2|The Conquest of Tenochtitlan]]
When Cortés and his men invaded {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}}, [[Moctezuma II]] chose to welcome Cortés as an ambassador rather than risk a war which might quickly be joined by aggrieved indigenous people.

As Cortés approached {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}}, the {{lang|nci|Tenochcah|italic=no}} celebrated [[Toxcatl]]. At this event the most prominent warriors of each {{lang|nci|[[altepetl]]|italic=no}} would dance in front of a huge statue of {{lang|nci|[[Huitzilopochtli]]|italic=no}}. The Spanish leader, [[Pedro de Alvarado]], who was left in charge, worried that the natives planned a surprise attack. He captured three natives and tortured them until they said that this was indeed planned to happen. During the festival, the Spaniards came heavily armed and closed off every exit from the courtyard so that no one would escape. This happened during their last days in Tenochtitlan.<ref>Townsend, Camilla. 2006. 102–103.</ref>

Nobles lined each side of the city's main causeway, which extended about a [[League (unit)|league]] (4.83 km).  Walking down the center came Moctezuma II, with two lords at his side, one his brother, the ruler of {{lang|nci|[[Iztapalapa]]|italic=no}}. Cortés dismounted and was greeted by the ruler and his lords, but forbidden to touch him. Cortés gave him a necklace of crystals, placing it over his neck.<ref>Cortés, H. 1520, p.  69.</ref>

[[File:Adoratorio_de_Ehecatl_Metro_Pino_Suárez.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Mexica pyramid of Ehecatl in the Metro Pino Suárez station, Mexico City Subway.]]
They were then brought to a large house that would serve as their home for their stay in the city. Once they were settled, Moctezuma himself sat down and spoke with Cortés. The great ruler declared that anything that they needed would be theirs to have.<ref>Cortés, H. 1520, p. 71.</ref> He was thrilled to have visitors of such stature.  Although the Spaniards were seeking gold, Moctezuma expressed that he had very little of the sort, but all of it was to be given to Cortés if he desired it.<ref>Cortés, H. 1520, p. 70.</ref>

Soon after arriving in {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}}, Cortés came up against problems.  At [[Veracruz|Vera Cruz]], the officer left in charge received a letter from {{lang|nci|[[Qualpopoca]]|italic=no}}, the leader of [[Nautla, Veracruz|Nueva Almería]], asking to become a vassal of the Spaniards. He requested that officials be sent to him so that he could confirm his submission. To reach the province, the officers would have to travel through hostile land. The officer in charge of Vera Cruz decided to send four officers to meet with Qualpopoca.<ref>Cortés, H. 1520, p. 72.</ref>

When they arrived, they were captured and two were killed, the other two escaping through the woods. Upon their return to Vera Cruz, the officer in charge was infuriated, and led troops to storm Almería. Here they learned that Moctezuma was supposedly the one who ordered the officers executed.<ref>Cortés, Hernan. 1520, p. 73.</ref> Back in {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}}, Cortés detained Moctezuma and questioned him.<ref>Cortés, H. 1520, p. 77.</ref> Though no serious conclusions were reached, this negatively affected the relationship between Moctezuma and the Spaniards.<ref>Stannard, D. 1992, 214.</ref>

Cortés subsequently besieged {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} for over 90 days, causing a famine.<ref name="Walker, C. 1980, p. 162"/> Having gained control, he then directed the systematic destruction and leveling of the city;<ref>"The Colonial Spanish-American City: Urban Life in the Age of Atlantic Capitalism", [[Jay Kinsbruner]], University of Texas Press, 2005, p. 20, {{ISBN|0-292-70668-5}}</ref> and began its rebuilding, despite opposition. The reconstruction involved the creation of a central area designated for Spanish use (the ''traza''). The outer Indian section, now dubbed ''San Juan Tenochtitlan'', continued to be governed by the previous indigenous elite and was divided into the same subdivisions as before.<ref>Stannard, D. 1992, 109.</ref>

The people of {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} were soon exposed to [[Columbian exchange#Diseases|diseases]] to which they had no immunity. Symptoms were often delayed for up to ten days, when the infection would spread throughout the body, causing sores, pain, and high fever. People were weak to the point that they could not move, nor obtain food and water. Burial of the dead became difficult to impossible, due to the pervasiveness of the people's illness. The people of Tenochtitlan began to starve and weaken. The death toll rose steadily over the course of the next 60 days.<ref>Townsend, Camilla. 2006, 109–110.</ref>{{when|date=January 2018}}{{Clarify|reason=Needs transition and explanation of events between invasion and colonial era|date=November 2020}}