The Rise of New Spain
When Spanish conquistadores explored the land known today as Mexico in 1519, they were dazzled by its riches. They marveled at the majestic stone buildings that graced the cities of the Aztecs who ruled the area. Beyond the cities lay fertile, irrigated fields lush with corn and other crops. And marketplaces brimmed with a great variety of vegetables and textiles.
Two years later, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men conquered the people and took control of the area in the name of
