Who was the Aztec emperor when Cortés conquered the empire?

Who was the Aztec emperor when Cortés conquered the empire?

• A. Moctezuma II
• B. Cuauhtémoc
• C. Itzcoatl
• D. Ahuitzotl

Answer: (A)

Moctezuma II is the ruler most closely associated with the start of Cortés’s campaign. When Cortés arrived in 1519 and began his expedition to conquer the Aztec Empire, Moctezuma II was the emperor ruling Tenochtitlan. He welcomed the Spaniards into the city and led the empire during the early stages of the contact and conflict. Although the final fall of the empire happened a couple of years later under Cuauhtémoc, the conquest is tied to the period of Moctezuma II’s reign, which is why he is the best answer. The other emperors reigned either long before conquest or—the last emperor Cuauhtémoc—during the final siege.

Moctezuma II is the ruler most closely associated with the start of Cortés’s campaign. When Cortés arrived in 1519 and began his expedition to conquer the Aztec Empire, Moctezuma II was the emperor ruling Tenochtitlan. He welcomed the Spaniards into the city and led the empire during the early stages of the contact and conflict. Although the final fall of the empire happened a couple of years later under Cuauhtémoc, the conquest is tied to the period of Moctezuma II’s reign, which is why he is the best answer. The other emperors reigned either long before conquest or—the last emperor Cuauhtémoc—during the final siege.