coming together of two worlds.

“No greater humiliation, it seems to me, was meted out to any man than Montezuma [1466-1520]; no race was ever more ruthlessly wiped out than the American Indian; no land was ever raped in a bloody and foul way than California was by the gold diggers. I blush to think of our origins—our hands are steeped in blood and crime.” 

― Henry Miller [1891-1980], Tropic of Capricorn

oldest temple of worship in the Americas

By the wishes of Hernán Cortés, Templo y Hospital de San Felipe de Jesus was constructed in 1524 on Aztec ruins to assist in the treatment of the soldiers who were wounded while fighting in wars against the Aztecs.

An earlier reference to Cortés here.

Tenochtitlán

On one occasion in 1487 the Aztecs sacrificed four lines of prisoners each two miles long. At least 40,000 deaths over four days.

Image source here.

An earlier reference to Tenochtitlán here.

"winning of America"

Unknown Artist, The Conquest of Tenochtitlán* [one of a narrative of eight scenes], 17th Century

Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his cannon ships, horses and armour, defeated and afterwards repressed the spear-toting, human sacrificing Aztecs in 1519.

The imperial power of the Incas was broken in 1532.

* from the most important historical series in Mexican art

An earlier reference to 1532 here.