Question

The Aztecs resisted European colonization for a very long time.

Answer 1

Not exactly. The Aztec Empire as a political entity fell fairly quickly once Hernán Cortés and his men arrived — roughly two years. But resistance by indigenous peoples (including Aztec communities and other Mesoamerican groups) continued in many forms for decades afterward.

Quick timeline
- 1519: Cortés lands on the Gulf coast and marches inland, making alliances with enemies of the Aztecs (notably Tlaxcala).
- 1520: La Noche Triste — Spaniards are temporarily driven out of Tenochtitlan, but a very destructive smallpox epidemic breaks out among the Aztec population.
- 1521: After regrouping and with indigenous allies, Cortés besieges Tenochtitlan; the city falls in August 1521 and the Aztec imperial system collapses.

Why the empire fell so fast
- Spanish military technology (horses, steel weapons, firearms, artillery) and tactics.
- Crucially, alliances with rival indigenous states (Tlaxcala, others) provided manpower and local knowledge.
- Devastating epidemics (smallpox in 1520–21) massively reduced and demoralized the indigenous population.
- Internal political divisions and the capture/killing of elite leaders weakened Aztec ability to coordinate defense.

Why people might say “long resistance”
- Although the empire collapsed quickly, many Nahua/Aztec people survived and continued to resist Spanish rule in local rebellions, passive resistance, and cultural persistence.
- Widespread indigenous uprisings and guerrilla conflicts continued in New Spain for decades (and in some regions into the 16th–17th centuries).
- Colonization itself was a protracted process; replacing indigenous institutions, consolidating control over outlying regions, and imposing colonial structures took much longer than the fall of Tenochtitlan.

If you want, I can give a more detailed timeline, describe major indigenous uprisings after 1521, or recommend primary and secondary sources.