Spanish Conquest: Mexico Trivia Quiz

Answer: Juan de Grijalva

Spanish expansion followed a "leap-frog" model. Once a given region was conquered future expansion spread out from conquered areas. Cortes followed this pattern by following expeditions, like Grijalva's, that had left from the previously conquered island of Cuba.

Answer: Geronimo de Aguilar

Doņa Marina initially only spoke Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica (Aztecs) and a dialect of Maya. Before she learned Spanish, Geronimo de Aguilar's knowledge of Maya allowed him to translate between Doņa Marina and Cortes. He learned Maya after being shipwrecked on Cozumel Island for seven years.

Answer: trade and explore

After conquering Cuba, Diego Velasquez had secured the right to lead future conquests on the mainland. Consequently, he did not want other Spaniards like Cortes and Grijalva to engage in conquests. Therefore he only granted licenses to trade and explore in order to gain more information on the region in preparation for a future attempt to be led by himself.

Answer: Veracruz

Veracruz was founded in order to justify a campaign of conquest on the mainland. Cortes' license from Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba, only allowed his expedition to engage in exploration and trade. By founding a town and having the town council, cabildo, appeal to the king, Cortes and the members of his company hoped to validate their future actions and gain royal approval for conquest.

Answer: No

Conquest companies were not true military units. The term "captain" was used to designate the individuals who had invested the most money and supplies into the expedition. Consequently, a company could have several captains each with a major stake in the overall success of the venture. Another famous captain from Cortes' expedition was the infamous Diego de Alvarado.

Answer: True

During the 15th century, Portuguese trade along the African coast led to the importation of many Africans to Spain. By the beginning of the 16th century Africans, both enslaved and free, had become an important minority in Spain and its new settlements abroad. One of the more famous African members of Cortes' company was a man named Juan Garrido who has been credited with bringing the first seeds of wheat to Mexico.

Answer: Tlaxcalteca

The Tlaxcalteca lived outside the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. While initially hostile to the Spaniards they recognized that the Spaniards might provide them a valuable opportunity to seriously undermine the Mexica Empire. Ultimately, they were rewarded well for their alliance.

The city of Tlaxcala was granted a royal coat of arms, and the Tlaxcalteca along with other native allies were granted special rights and privileges for the duration of Spanish colonial rule.

Answer: brigantines armed with cannon from their ships.

As Tenochtitlan was an island city the Spanish needed to not only close the causeways leading to the city but also control the water around the city. Native allies helped with control the lake with their own canoes and watercraft, but brigantines armed with Spanish cannon helped destroy much of the city and demoralize its inhabitants.

Answer: la gran ciudad de Temistitlan Mexico

Given its size and importance Mexico City was never classified as a villa. At various times it was referred to as "la gran ciudad de Mexico" and "la gran y muy leal ciudad de Mexico." However, initially Spaniards chose to keep the native name "Tenochtitlan" as part of the official name.

However, as they difficultly hearing the proper pronunciation of Nahuatl words "Tenochtitlan" most commonly appeared in Spanish documents as "Temistitlan."

Answer: Yucatec Maya

After completing the conquest of the Mexica Cortes hoped to further the conquest by returning to the Yucatan. However, this expedition was largely unsuccessful. Maya resistance to the Spanish and their Nahua allies was strong. Additionally the no large centralized Maya empire existed which made alliance building far more complicated that in Central Mexico. Importantly, it was on this expedition in 1525 that Cuahutemoc the last Mexica Tlatoani was executed by Cortes after allegedly attempting to forge an alliance with the Maya against the Spanish.