Why were the Spanish conquistadors able to defeat the native Americans?
They were much stronger. The Aztecs, at first, thought the
arriving Spaniards were "people of Heaven". However, after the
Spanish leader Cortes murdered their king and started looting all
the wealth, primarily gold. Despite the Aztec's sophisticated
society, they were no match for the conquistadors. Along with the
Spanish conquistadors "conquerors" came missionaries, in an attempt
to convert the Aztecs. Not long after the the Spanish arrived, the
Aztec population was reduced to 10%. Simply put, the Aztecs were no
match for the Spanish.