Aztec Gold (and Silver): The Conquistadors and The Night of Sorrow
Hernán Cortés, the famed Conquistador, set sail for Mexico in February 1519, first stopping in Trinidad to obtain supplies and more men, and landed in the Yucatan peninsula in Mayan territory with 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses, and a small number of cannons shortly thereafter. Cortés’ mission was both to spread Christianity and to bring back riches for Spain. While the modern simplification of the events that transpired are oversimplified to “Cortés bad, evil man, Aztecs innocent and good”, the truth was in fact a bit more nuanced than that as outlined by a soldier who traveled with Cortés in Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España by Bernal Diaz and first published in 1568.
Diaz paints the picture of a Cortés that definitely was there to find and acquire riches, but that initially attempted peace with the Aztecs but through massive cultural differences and a series of misunderstanding ended up at war with the Aztecs and put in the position of conquering them or being killed by them. The truth is likely a mix of Diaz’s narrative and the “Cortés evil” narrative, but what is known is that the Aztecs had extremely strange to the Spanish and immoral cultural and religious habits such as human sacrifice, cannibalism in their markets, and ruthless treatment of neighboring tribes, all of which made it easier for Cortés and his men to feel morally superior to them and to align with the native troops against Montezuma to conquer the Aztecs.
One other undisputed fact is that the Aztecs were rich in gold, silver, and gemstones and used them to create plates, ornaments, medals, and other decorations. Silver was primarily utilized in jewelry by the Aztecs. The Aztecs, while highly valuing gold, silver, and gemstones, did not utilize them as currency, instead utilized copper coins for large denominations and cocoa beans as the lesser denominated currency value. As he slowly made his way towards the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Cortés met disgruntled natives captive to the Aztec Empire along the way and received gifts from Montezuma that included much gold and silver. Montezuma believed that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl, a God that was to return to Earth, and so sent treasures such as a gold-plated wheel six and a half feet across, weighing some thirty-five pounds, smaller silver wheels, and a Spanish helmet filled with gold dust as the Spanish had requested, among other gold and silver items sent to them.
Before Cortés had arrived in Tenochtitlan in November 1519, he had attacked Cholula, an Aztec city with the help of natives, burned and looted it and massacred the elites, but he was welcomed in the city by Montezuma nonetheless. Tenochtitlan was full of gold, silver and gemstones that were utilized in all sorts of everyday and decorative items. Cortés and his men, distrustful of the Aztecs despite their hospitality, took Montezuma hostage and continuously demanded more gold and other valuables. Montezuma also told the Spanish of the various places in Mexico where the gold was obtained and they went to explore and bring back gold from these places. Cortés left the city to fight a competing conquistador in May 1520 and a foolish and hot-headed subordinate of his ordered the execution of nobles he got in a dispute with at a festival, which had enraged the Aztecs and led to the Spanish being trapped and besieged within Tenochtitlan.
The decision was made to flee Tenochtitlan but the Spanish, while incapable of effectively carrying out the gold, silver, and gemstone treasure aggregated, decided to attempt it anyhow. Cortés ordered the King’s fifth and his own loaded onto horses and for the Spanish to take whatever they wished of the rest. The more strategic of the Spanish simply loaded their pockets and rucksacks with gems, but others loaded themselves down with the much heavier gold. As the Spanish attempted to flee, most were cut down as slowed down by the weight of the gold, and many drowned in Lake Texcoco where much of the gold and riches are believed to have ended up. This bloody escape from Tenochtitlan was known as the La Noche Triste, or Night of Sorrows. Very little of the gold, silver, and gems escaped Tenochtitlan and many of the Spanish were massacred in the escape.
Cortés regrouped with his native allies and marched on Tenochtitlan, destroying the city and looting it of all of its riches. Cortés was accused by his men, apparently rightly so, of withholding gold and other riches both from the King and them — most only receiving 200 pesos for the entire campaign in Mexico. Much of the initial gold, silver, and gems lost in the Night of Sorrows were never fully covered and with the burning of Tenochtitlan and draining of Lake Texcoco where most of the lost treasure was believed to be located, are likely lost to history. The Spanish shipped most of the Aztec riches recovered and obtained through the sacking of Tenochtitlan and other cities in Mexico back to Spain to be used to fuel the growing Spanish Empire in New Spain and beyond which helped facilitate a rise in global trade based on a global precious metals monetary standard.
Analysis: While we do not defend Cortés or his actions mentioned herein, we do believe that the history is more nuanced than it is simplified to be by some modern and presentism-biased historians and revisionists with an agenda as the book written by Bernal Diaz will demonstrate to any reader. The Spanish quest for precious metals and other valuables demonstrated both the importance of these stores of value to the rest of the world who they sought to conquer and trade with and unfortunately the immoral and unethical actions that powers such as Kings and their empowered agents will lower themselves to in order to obtain them. Equally of note is the fact that much of the Aztec riches were obtained from mistreatment and exploitation of the local native populations so they were no Saints themselves when it comes to obtaining resources through coercion and violence.
Those who believe the world has changed and that these restructured but just as ruthless modern Kings in the form of Oligarchs and their institutions of power such as the central banks are moral and ethical in their pursuit of riches and power are naïve in our view. Looking to the actions of the elites of the past to understand their true nature and the situation we find ourselves in today is instructive as much is hidden from us through corrupted governments, institutions, and a dishonest and agenda-driven media controlled and dictated by Oligarchs and their institutions who are still after the same riches they were five centuries ago during the era of Aztec gold, silver, and gems.
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