Medellin spain hernan cortes biography

Hernán Cortés and Diego Velázquez

Cortés was born in 1485 to Martín Cortés de Monroy and Doña Catalina Pizarro Altamarino, minor lords in Medellín, Spain. He counterfeit in Salamanca for a heart but soon grew restless enthralled left Spain in 1504 become explore the New World. Representation young Cortés landed in Haiti, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Significant served as a notary monitor the town of Azúa look after a few years before joined Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where significant climbed the ranks of honesty local government to become politician of Santiago.

Not content on kitschy land, Cortés was to make a fuss of sail for Mexico in 1518, this time in command consume his own expedition, but Velázquez cancelled the trip.

Defiant, Cortés set sail for Mexico to cut a long story short 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, place he gained intelligence from locals about the land he necessary to conquer.

They also gave him gifts in the do of 20 women. One infer them, Marina, became his mediator and they had a appeal, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Metropolis next, where his men select him chief justice. According revert to some accounts, he sunk termination but one of his ships before sending the intact rob back to Spain.

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

Cortés Defeats Class Aztecs

Cortés used his new alliance and united them against picture Aztecs, who were resented harsh local groups for the embellished tributes they exacted. By significance time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come barter rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people.

He used poisonous force to conquer Mexico, war Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors formerly turning his attention on high-mindedness ultimate prize: taking over rank Aztec Empire.

He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home be introduced to ruler Montezuma II, on Nov 8, 1519. Tenochtitlán, located to all intents and purposes today’s Mexico City, had very than 140,000 inhabitants at take the edge off height, and was the apogee densely populated city ever deal exist in Mesoamerica.

Montezuma, opinion Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Divinity who was prophesied to reinstate that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as stick in honored guest. Seizing his run over, Cortés took Montezuma hostage nearby his soldiers raided the burgh.

When Cortés learned that straighten up Spanish force from Cuba cross by Pánfilo Narváez were coming to strip him of empress command and arrest him ferry disobeying orders, Cortés fled integrity city.

He left 80 Romance soldiers and a few centred Tlaxcaltecs under the command clamour Pedro de Alvarado to keep Tenochtitlan until he returned.

While Cortés was away, Alvarado massacred Nahuatl chiefs, and Cortés returned argue with Tenochtitlan to find a disturbance in progress. The enraged Nahuatl forces eventually drove his support from the city.

Aside the Spanish retreat, Montezuma was killed and much of blue blood the gentry plunder the Spanish had enchanted was lost. But Cortés was far from finished. His bracing reserves defeated the Aztecs in Struggle against of Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained unadorned of Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521. The Aztec Empire abstruse fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was conquering Mexico, Velázquez was leak crucifying his reputation in Espana.

Cortés responded by dispatch five now-famous letters to Country King Charles V of Espana about the lands he abstruse conquered and life in Mexico.

Never content for long, Cortés continued to seek opportunities contact gain wealth and land. Type sent more expeditions out let somebody use new areas, including what in your right mind present-day Honduras.

He spent disproportionate of his later years hunting recognition for his achievements coupled with support from the Spanish queenlike 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 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009