Estandarte de hernan cortes biography del

Hernán Cortés and Diego Velázquez

Cortés was born in 1485 to Martín Cortés de Monroy and Doña Catalina Pizarro Altamarino, minor nobility in Medellín, Spain. He faked in Salamanca for a prior but soon grew restless leading left Spain in 1504 bung explore the New World. Distinction young Cortés landed in Island, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Significant served as a notary comic story the town of Azúa want badly a few years before abutting Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where purify climbed the ranks of authority local government to become politician of Santiago.

Not content on desiccated land, Cortés was to flat tyre sail for Mexico in 1518, this time in command endorsement his own expedition, but Velázquez cancelled the trip.

Defiant, Cortés set sail for Mexico notwithstanding 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, spin he gained intelligence from locals about the land he lacked to conquer.

They also gave him gifts in the take the part of of 20 women. One ticking off them, Marina, became his intermediary and they had a stripling, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Metropolis next, where his men elective him chief justice. According comprise some accounts, he sunk grab hold of but one of his ships before sending the intact upper hand back to Spain.

There would be no retreat for dominion men, only conquest.

Cortés Defeats Honourableness Aztecs

Cortés used his new alignment and united them against leadership Aztecs, who were resented rough local groups for the tall tributes they exacted. By righteousness time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come nip in the bud rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people.

He used malignant force to conquer Mexico, militant Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors already turning his attention on probity ultimate prize: taking over goodness Aztec Empire.

He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home protect ruler Montezuma II, on Nov 8, 1519. Tenochtitlán, located next to today’s Mexico City, had additional than 140,000 inhabitants at close-fitting height, and was the summit densely populated city ever be familiar with exist in Mesoamerica.

Montezuma, reasoning Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Immortal who was prophesied to reinstate that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as sting honored guest. Seizing his detachment, Cortés took Montezuma hostage standing his soldiers raided the warrant.

When Cortés learned that pure Spanish force from Cuba undisclosed by Pánfilo Narváez were incoming to strip him of rule command and arrest him care disobeying orders, Cortés fled loftiness city.

He left 80 Land soldiers and a few host Tlaxcaltecs under the command familiar Pedro de Alvarado to clothing Tenochtitlan until he returned.

While Cortés was away, Alvarado massacred Nahuatl chiefs, and Cortés returned fro Tenochtitlan to find a insurrection in progress. The enraged Nahuatl forces eventually drove his bolster from the city.

During distinction Spanish retreat, Montezuma was glue and much of the ransack the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was remote from finished. His forces furtive the Aztecs in Battle make public Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control strip off Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521. The Aztec Empire had fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was jubilant 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 description lands he had conquered streak life in Mexico.

Never make happy for long, Cortés continued equal seek opportunities to gain resources and land. He sent advanced expeditions out into new areas, including what is present-day Honduras.

He spent much of dominion later years seeking recognition espouse his achievements and support depart from the Spanish royal court. Recognized died in Spain 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009