This Day In Latino History

June 30, 1520 is known as La Noche Triste because it was the night that Spanish forces, led by Hernan Cortes, were forced to retreat from the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Cortes had successfully taken over the city of 200, 000 or so Aztecs the year before. But then he had to go out of town on business and that’s when the trouble started. It seems the fellow he left in charge had the nasty habit of killing everyone. Cortes tried to smooth things over when he got back, but the Aztecs weren’t having it. They cut Cortes’ food supply off and, so, on June 30, he decided to GTFO. Many of Cortes’ men, exiting by boat, drowned in Lake Texcoco when their vessel sank from the weight of all the gold they were stealing. This made Spain feel a sad. As you can see from the painting, for them it was akin to God taking the Jews from Egypt because Spain was losing all its really great, low-priced slave power. Montezuma II, who had become a mere subject of Cortes’ during the previous year, also died on this evening–possibly at the hands of an angry mob of Aztecs. In short, it was widespread pandemonium.

Of course, Cortes regrouped and, with the help of some other Indians who thought the Aztecs were more evil than the Romans, eventually retook the city. The Aztec empire was renamed New Spain and from that day forward, peace and accord reigned in all the land.