Conversation so far:
When did the colonization of Mexico begin?
The Spanish conquest of Mexico is generally understood to be the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-21) which was the base for later conquests of other regions.
What happened during this period?
Later conquests were protracted campaigns with less spectacular results than the conquest of the Aztecs.

Question: What was so spectacular about the conquest of the Aztecs?
Self-contained rewrite: What was so spectacular about the conquest of the Aztecs?