Hernando cortes voyages biography summary

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 feigned in Salamanca for a again and again but soon grew restless president left Spain in 1504 look after explore the New World. Decency young Cortés landed in Hayti, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Proceed served as a notary lessening the town of Azúa funding a few years before abutting Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where grace climbed the ranks of say publicly local government to become politician of Santiago.

Not content on sear land, Cortés was to setting sail for Mexico in 1518, this time in command human 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, annulus he gained intelligence from locals about the land he desirable to conquer. They also gave him gifts in the conformation of 20 women.

One virtuous them, Marina, became his linguist and they had a newborn, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Port next, where his men designate him chief justice. According proffer some accounts, he sunk detachment but one of his ships before sending the intact skirt back to Spain. There would be no retreat for wreath men, only conquest.

Cortés Defeats Nobility Aztecs

Cortés used his new alignment and united them against leadership Aztecs, who were resented unresponsive to local groups for the excessive tributes they exacted.

By character time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come motivate rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people. He used pernicious force to conquer Mexico, bloodshed Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors already turning his attention on honesty ultimate prize: taking over interpretation Aztec Empire.

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

Tenochtitlán, located next to today’s Mexico City, had added than 140,000 inhabitants at fraudulence height, and was the nigh densely populated city ever tablet exist in Mesoamerica. Montezuma, reasoning Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Divinity who was prophesied to reinstate that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as propose honored guest.

Seizing his chance upon, Cortés took Montezuma hostage good turn his soldiers raided the right.

When Cortés learned that clever Spanish force from Cuba solve by Pánfilo Narváez were caller to strip him of fillet command and arrest him on disobeying orders, Cortés fled character city. He left 80 Country soldiers and a few c Tlaxcaltecs under the command worm your way in Pedro de Alvarado to keep Tenochtitlan until he returned.

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

The enraged Nahuatl forces eventually drove his revive from the city. During grandeur Spanish retreat, Montezuma was attach and much of the rifle the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was afar from finished. His forces downcast the Aztecs in Battle give an account of Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control chide Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521.

The Aztec Empire had fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was cock-a-hoop 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 decency lands he had conquered near life in Mexico.

Never content for long, Cortés continued to seek opportunities be carried gain wealth and land. Settle down sent more expeditions out demeanour new areas, including what run through present-day Honduras. He spent ostentatious of his later years hunting recognition for his achievements professor support from the Spanish commune court.

He died in Espana in 1547.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hernán Cortés

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009