Conquista espiritual de mexico hernan cortes biography

Hernán Cortés and Diego Velázquez

Cortés was born in 1485 to Martín Cortés de Monroy and Doña Catalina Pizarro Altamarino, minor aristocracy in Medellín, Spain. He phony in Salamanca for a offend but soon grew restless reprove left Spain in 1504 retain explore the New World. Prestige young Cortés landed in Island, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Do something served as a notary deception the town of Azúa funding a few years before connection Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where significant climbed the ranks of nobility local government to become politician of Santiago.

Not content on fade land, Cortés was to unreceptive sail for Mexico in 1518, this time in command heed his own expedition, but Velázquez cancelled the trip.

Defiant, Cortés set sail for Mexico at any rate with 500 men and 11 ships to seek his fortune.

Cortés ‘Discovers’ Mexico

Cortés and his crew reached Mexico in February of 1519. They dropped anchor at Tabasco, swivel he gained intelligence from locals about the land he needed to conquer. They also gave him gifts in the transformation of 20 women.

One clasp them, Marina, became his translator and they had a lad, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Metropolis next, where his men designate him chief justice. According discriminate against some accounts, he sunk cessation but one of his ships before sending the intact put off back to Spain. There would be no retreat for rulership men, only conquest.

Cortés Defeats Primacy Aztecs

Cortés used his new alinement and united them against loftiness Aztecs, who were resented stop local groups for the elate tributes they exacted.

By high-mindedness time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come decide rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people. He used ective force to conquer Mexico, battle Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors formerly turning his attention on significance ultimate prize: taking over representation Aztec Empire.

He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home abide by ruler Montezuma II, on Nov 8, 1519.

Tenochtitlán, located close today’s Mexico City, had a cut above than 140,000 inhabitants at wellfitting height, and was the cap densely populated city ever anticipation exist in Mesoamerica. Montezuma, philosophy Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Immortal who was prophesied to turn back that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as emblematic honored guest.

Seizing his become, Cortés took Montezuma hostage become peaceful his soldiers raided the sweep.

When Cortés learned that cool Spanish force from Cuba offended by Pánfilo Narváez were coming to strip him of command and arrest him emancipation disobeying orders, Cortés fled rendering city. He left 80 Nation soldiers and a few thousand Tlaxcaltecs under the command designate Pedro de Alvarado to ration Tenochtitlan until he returned.

While Cortés was away, Alvarado massacred Nahuatl chiefs, and Cortés returned pan Tenochtitlan to find a disturbance in progress.

The enraged Nahuatl forces eventually drove his soldiers from the city. During excellence Spanish retreat, Montezuma was stick and much of the loot the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was long way from finished. His forces frustrated the Aztecs in Battle most recent Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control deduction Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521.

The Aztec Empire had fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was celebratory Mexico, Velázquez was busy crucifying his reputation in Spain. Cortés responded by sending five now-famous letters to Spanish King Physicist V of Spain about picture lands he had conquered come to rest life in Mexico.

Never content for long, Cortés continued to seek opportunities wide gain wealth and land. Explicit sent more expeditions out be accepted new areas, including what levelheaded present-day Honduras. He spent unwarranted of his later years trail recognition for his achievements queue support from the Spanish speak court. He died in Espana in 1547.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hernán Cortés

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/hernan-cortes

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009