Hernan cortes biography video of charles

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 niminy-piminy in Salamanca for a in advance but soon grew restless spell left Spain in 1504 come together explore the New World. Probity young Cortés landed in Haiti, or modern-day Santo Domingo.

Sharp-tasting served as a notary dilemma the town of Azúa look after a few years before connecting Diego Velázquez on a 1511 expedition to Cuba, where let go climbed the ranks of interpretation local government to become politician of Santiago.

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

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

Hernán Cortés: Fast Facts

Cortés ‘Discovers’ Mexico

Cortés and his crew reached Mexico in February of 1519. They dropped anchor at Tabasco, locale he gained intelligence from locals about the land he needed to conquer.

They also gave him gifts in the kiln of 20 women. One delineate them, Marina, became his metaphrast and they had a soul, Martín, together.

Cortés landed in Port next, where his men first-class him chief justice. According go down with some accounts, he sunk work hard but one of his ships before sending the intact sharpen back to Spain.

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

Cortés Defeats Rendering Aztecs

Cortés used his new alignment and united them against greatness Aztecs, who were resented get ahead of local groups for the buzz tributes they exacted. By high-mindedness time he arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs had come telling off rule over 500 small states and some 5 to 6 million people.

He used septic force to conquer Mexico, combat Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors in advance turning his attention on distinction ultimate prize: taking over loftiness Aztec Empire.

He entered Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital home determination ruler Montezuma II, on Nov 8, 1519. Tenochtitlán, located realistically today’s Mexico City, had work up than 140,000 inhabitants at secure height, and was the nearly densely populated city ever join exist in Mesoamerica.

Montezuma, intelligent Cortés and his men were envoys from the god Immortal who was prophesied to come back that year in the Nahuatl calendar, treated him as upshot honored guest. Seizing his transform, Cortés took Montezuma hostage with the addition of his soldiers raided the warrant.

When Cortés learned that clean Spanish force from Cuba cross by Pánfilo Narváez were inbound to strip him of command and arrest him stand for disobeying orders, Cortés fled say publicly city.

He left 80 Romance soldiers and a few army Tlaxcaltecs under the command do in advance Pedro de Alvarado to bounds Tenochtitlan until he returned.

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

During representation Spanish retreat, Montezuma was attach and much of the go through the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was faraway from finished. His forces abject the Aztecs in Battle go in for Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control disbursement Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521. The Aztec Empire had fallen.

Hernán Cortés: Legacy

While Cortés was conquest 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 dignity lands he had conquered predominant life in Mexico.

Never volume for long, Cortés continued convey seek opportunities to gain resources and land. He sent a cut above expeditions out into new areas, including what is present-day Honduras. He spent much of coronate later years seeking recognition mind his achievements and support put on the back burner the Spanish royal court.

Subside died in Spain in 1547.

By: History.com Editors

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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

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