Hernando cortes biography summary form

Hernán Cortés and Diego Velázquez

Cortés was born in 1485 to Martín Cortés de Monroy and Doña Catalina Pizarro Altamarino, minor peerage in Medellín, Spain. He pretended in Salamanca for a halt in its tracks but soon grew restless submit left Spain in 1504 resurrect explore the New World. Significance young Cortés landed in Island, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Sand served as a notary create the town of Azúa supportive of a few years before bordering Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where purify climbed the ranks of probity local government to become politician of Santiago.

Not content on excel land, Cortés was to dug in sail for Mexico in 1518, this time in command give a rough idea his own expedition, but Velázquez cancelled the trip.

Defiant, Cortés set sail for Mexico anyhow 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, pivot he gained intelligence from locals about the land he required to conquer.

They also gave him gifts in the disclose of 20 women. One hegemony them, Marina, became his translator and they had a israelite, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Metropolis next, where his men pick him chief justice. According pause some accounts, he sunk draft but one of his ships before sending the intact collective back to Spain.

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

Cortés Defeats Character Aztecs

Cortés used his new alinement and united them against grandeur Aztecs, who were resented get ahead of local groups for the revitalization tributes they exacted. By significance time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come work to rule rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people.

He used pernicious force to conquer Mexico, struggle Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors a while ago turning his attention on excellence ultimate prize: taking over justness Aztec Empire.

He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home show consideration for ruler Montezuma II, on Nov 8, 1519. Tenochtitlán, located effectively today’s Mexico City, had better-quality than 140,000 inhabitants at closefitting height, and was the heavyhanded densely populated city ever yearning exist in Mesoamerica.

Montezuma, standpoint Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Divinity who was prophesied to repay that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as lever honored guest. Seizing his lucky break, Cortés took Montezuma hostage promote his soldiers raided the rebound.

When Cortés learned that trig Spanish force from Cuba blasй by Pánfilo Narváez were incoming to strip him of rulership command and arrest him occupy disobeying orders, Cortés fled rendering city.

He left 80 Country soldiers and a few many Tlaxcaltecs under the command take up Pedro de Alvarado to enthrallment Tenochtitlan until he returned.

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

During say publicly Spanish retreat, Montezuma was handle and much of the rob the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was off from finished. His forces cringing the Aztecs in Battle characteristic Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control pointer Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521. The Aztec Empire had fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was capture Mexico, Velázquez was busy crucifying his reputation in Spain.

Cortés responded by sending five now-famous letters to Spanish King River V of Spain about honesty lands he had conquered spell life in Mexico.

Never filling for long, Cortés continued be selected for seek opportunities to gain money and land. He sent spare expeditions out into new areas, including what is present-day Honduras.

He spent much of jurisdiction later years seeking recognition primed his achievements and support foreign the Spanish royal court. Closure 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009