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Cuautemoc

Cuáutemoc, also sometimes spelled Cuauhtemoc, was the last Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan and the last "Aztec Emperor".

He took power in 1521; His reign was preceded by Cuitláuac and followed by the Spanish.

Cuautemoc was a nephew of the emperor Moctezuma II, and his young wife was a daughter of Moctezuma. He took power as his city came under siege by the Spanish and devastated by an epidemic of smallpox.

On August 13, 1521, he surrendered to Hernan Cortes in the Tlatelolco section of Tenochtitlan.

Cuautemoc is considered to be the true hero of the fall of the Aztec nation, Cuautemoc was tortured to death with his feet to fire, but he refused to divulge information about the treasures the Spanish coveted.



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