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La Noche Triste (The Sad Night)
On the night of June 30 to July 1, 1520, Cortés and his Spanish-allied force, along with many indigenous allies, were forced to withdraw from Tenocht…
Timeline
- 1520Spanish quarters (palace district) · Mexico CityAfter the uprising of the new Nahua ruler Cuauhtémoc and the death of Moctezuma, Cortés judged that holding out was hopeless and ordered a secret nighttime withdrawal, carrying loot and allied hostages along the causeway toward Tlacopan.
- 1520Lake Texcoco causeway · State of MexicoThe retreat was detected by the Aztec, and canoe warriors attacked from both sides of the lake, with fierce fighting breaking out at a gap in the causeway. The Spanish lost soldiers, horses, and nearly all their gold loot, while the indigenous allies also suffered heavy casualties.
Sources
- Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España — Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1632)
- La Noche Triste and the Fall of Tenochtitlan — Hugh Thomas (1993)