About Hernan Cortes
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (1485–2 December 1547), is thought to have had a fortune of $100 million. During the early stages of European colonization, Cortes is regarded as one of the earliest explorers of the New World who amassed enormous money and land for Spain. His battles resulted in a lot of killing, and he treated conquered peoples horribly, which severely marred his reputation.
Cortés’ First Chapter
Cortes was born in 1485 to a military family in the Spanish hamlet of Medellin. When he was a teenager, he decided to enroll in the University of Salamanca to study law, but he couldn’t resist the opportunity to succeed in the New World.
In 1503, Cortes set out for the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, where he was able to secure employment as a notary thanks to family ties. He had his military training there and earned a stellar reputation as a fighter and a commander. Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, who was in charge of a Spanish mission to conquer the island of Cuba in 1511, took note of his abilities.
Cuban Cortés
Cortes distinguished himself as a significant military figure in Cuba after being sent on the journey initially as a clerk working for the expedition’s treasury. He ruled the island and carried out a number of savage killings of the native population. He then rose to prominence as a conquistador during the early years of Spanish colonialism in the New World. Cortes was elected mayor of Santiago, a city on the island, and he witnessed the failure of two attempts to conquer various regions of Mexico in 1517 and 1518.
Mexican invasion by Cortés
At the age of 33, Cortes was chosen by Velazquez to command another Spanish invasion of Mexico’s interior later that year. Cortes’ most well-known accomplishment was this. After disposing of a number of lesser tribes, Cortes resumed his inward movement and turned his attention to the powerful Aztec Empire, which controlled nearly all of Mexico. Cortes’ army marched into Tenochtitlan, the capital of the empire, supported by warriors from some of the tribes he had already subjugated, and swiftly gained control of the city while ruthlessly slaughtering thousands of native people.
In order to remove Cortes from power, Governor Velazquez, who had conflicts with Cortes in the past, despatched a second expedition to Mexico. To defeat the Spanish assault, Cortés abandoned the Aztec city and joined the remaining soldiers to his own forces. Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan and discovered it in a state of anarchy. One of Cortes’ lieutenants, Pedro de Alvarado, had attempted to slaughter the Aztec nobles, which sparked an Aztec rebellion known as Noche Triste, or “sad night,” which drove the Spanish out of the city.
Cortés Loses Popularity
In 1521, Cortes visited Tenochtitlan once more and took control of the city. He was appointed governor of the New Spain region of Mexico. He oversaw several more explorations across Mexico. His authority in the New World was severely curtailed in 1528, when his governorship was removed. After going back to Spain in 1540, he passed away there in 1547 at the age of 62.
