The conquistadors, bel ieving they held considerable mi l itary and technological superiority over the native cultures, attacked and destroyed the Aztecs in 1521. This campaign was led by Hernán Cortés and featured the Tlaxcala and other indigenous peoples al l ied against the Mexica/Aztec Empire. The Spanish conquest of the Maya civi l ization—based in the Yucatán Peninsula of present-day Mexico and northern Central America— was a much longer campaign, lasting from 1551 to 1697. The day Hernán Cortés landed ashore at present-day Veracruz, Apri l 22, 1519, marked the beginning of 300 years of Spanish hegemony over the region.