Funny thing about those death-god native tribes...
Fifty Europeans with one-shot muskets didn't take out 10000 people. No, they allied with other tribes, and warred, and proxy-warred, alongside several native groups. Native groups who did join out of fear... But not of the Spaniards. It was out of fear of the ones they were fighting, any ally in a crisis on the scale of the death god worshippers.
The Spaniards had slaves. People who were captured in far-off lands by those of darker skin tone and sold off to them. Many slaves died in the boats over. But many didn't. And they were fed, and sheltered. Not well, but existent. Slaves had value to the Spaniards, at least in the "asset" definition of value. Compared to being tortured to death in the public square after a rousing pre-game of torture, the Euros were the textbook definition of "lesser of two evils" at the time, there really wasn't much choice: Ally with the colonials, or eventually enjoy Aztec hospitality.
The funny thing is that not only is this exactly right, but many more modern historians are laying increasing emphasis on the allies of the Spanish, because it gives "agency" to the natives - more than saying that they were just conquered by the superior Europeans.
Funny thing about those death-god native tribes...
Fifty Europeans with one-shot muskets didn't take out 10000 people. No, they allied with other tribes, and warred, and proxy-warred, alongside several native groups. Native groups who did join out of fear... But not of the Spaniards. It was out of fear of the ones they were fighting, any ally in a crisis on the scale of the death god worshippers.
The Spaniards had slaves. People who were captured in far-off lands by those of darker skin tone and sold off to them. Many slaves died in the boats over. But many didn't. And they were fed, and sheltered. Not well, but existent. Slaves had value to the Spaniards, at least in the "asset" definition of value. Compared to being tortured to death in the public square after a rousing pre-game of torture, the Euros were the textbook definition of "lesser of two evils" at the time, there really wasn't much choice: Ally with the colonials, or eventually enjoy Aztec hospitality.
The funny thing is that not only is this exactly right, but many more modern historians are laying increasing emphasis on the allies of the Spanish, because it gives "agency" to the natives - more than saying that they were just conquered by the superior Europeans.