May 1520 CEReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Massacre in the Great Temple
On the timeline · around May 1520 CE ·
What happened
While Cortés was away on the coast, his deputy Pedro de Alvarado attacked celebrants at a religious festival in the sacred precinct, slaughtering unarmed members of the Aztec nobility. The atrocity turned the city against the Spanish.
Why it matters
The temple massacre shattered the uneasy peace and ignited the uprising that would nearly destroy Cortés's expedition.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Hernán Cortés · Reputable source
- World History Encyclopedia. Cortés & the Fall of the Aztec Empire · Reputable source