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Montezuma and Cortez (5:39)

In this Wonders of Latin America video, learn why hospitality was a fatal mistake for the Aztec empire. Montezuma and Cortez meet in a peaceful way but with tensions of two different worlds. Montezuma invites Cortez and his men to stay in one of his palaces.

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Videos (7)

  • Montezuma and Cortez
    Montezuma and Cortez

    Video Clip (5:39)

    In this Wonders of Latin America video, learn why hospitality was a fatal mistake for the Aztec empire. Montezuma and Cortez meet in a peaceful way but with tensions of two different worlds. Montezuma invites Cortez and his men to stay in one of his palaces.

    Video Clip (5:39)
  • The Aztecs
    The Aztecs

    Video Clip (1:20)

    Though they could build complex suspension bridges, the Aztecs could not ward off diseases brought over by the Spanish.

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  • The Mayans
    The Mayans

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    The growth of the great Mayan civilization is as much a mystery as its disappearance.

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  • Wonders of Latin America: Engineering an Empire Aztecs
    Wonders of Latin America: Engineering an Empire Aztecs

    Video Clip (5:02)

    In this History Wonders video, brought to you by the History Channel, learn about the founding of the Aztec Empire in Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs really started to control the city when they defeated their overlords, the Tepanecs.

    Video Clip (5:02)
  • Coroner's Report: Aztec Sacrifice
    Coroner's Report: Aztec Sacrifice

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    When Aztec priests made human sacrifices to their gods, they would tear out the victim's heart and hold it in the air. Would the heart really still be beating?

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  • Prophecy of Quexalcote
    Prophecy of Quexalcote

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    Did the ancient Aztecs predict the arrival of Hernan Cortez in 1519?

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  • Cinco De Mayo
    Cinco De Mayo

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    While many believe that the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico's Independence Day, this is an incorrect assumption. To learn of the actual significance of Cinco de Mayo, watch this History of the Holidays video.

    Video Clip (3:27)

Photo Galleries (3)

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    September 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of Mexico's War of Independence from Spanish rule, which was launched by Mexican priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.

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The decade-long struggle for Mexican independence from Spain began on September 16, 1810, a day that is now celebrated as the country's birthday.

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