The Spanish invasion of Mexico in 1519 left the capital city, Tenochtitlan, in ruins. Conquistador Hernn Corts, following the citys surrender in 1521, established a governing body to organize its reconstruction. Corts was careful to appoint native people to govern who had held positions of authority before his arrival, establishing a pattern that endured for centuries. William F. Connells After Moctezuma: Indigenous Politics and Self-Government in Mexico City, 15241730 reveals how native self-government in former Tenochtitlan evolved over time as the city and its population changed.