Question

mexico in 1519. the conquistadors led spains conquest of mexico and peru. conquistador means conqueror in spanish. hernando cortés led the conquistadors on a rampage through mexico. then, destroying villages and weakening the empire. eventually, cortes formed an alliance with the city of tlaxcala, and with the help of its residents, he conquered tenochtitlán. montezuma greeted cortes, and according to some reports, cortés played a ceremonial aztec board game with montezuma before taking him hostage. the aztecs were known for playing board games that had ceremonial and religious meanings. according to this passage, why was cortés able to conquer tenochtitlán? a. cortés formed an alliance with the people of tlaxcala. b. cortés arrived in mexico in 1519 when montezuma was the aztec ruler. c. the aztec soldiers were playing board games when cortés arrived and were not prepared to fight. d. montezuma was sick when cortés arrived and was not able to direct the army.

Explanation:

The passage describes Hernando Cortés' conquest of the Aztec Empire. To answer why Cortés was able to conquer Tenochtitlán, we analyze the options:

• Option A: Forming an alliance with Tlaxcala (an enemy of the Aztecs) weakened the Aztec Empire, which was a key strategy in Cortés' conquest.
• Option B: Cortés arrived in Mexico in 1519, but this is just a timeline fact, not a reason for conquering Tenochtitlán.
• Option C: Aztec soldiers playing board games when Cortés arrived is not a significant strategic reason for the conquest.
• Option D: Montezuma being sick is a minor factor compared to the alliance - building strategy.

Answer:

A. Cortés formed an alliance with the people of Tlaxcala.