Summary
Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador who led the Conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. After establishing Veracruz, he marched inland with Spanish soldiers and Native allies, including peoples who opposed Aztec rule. Cortés entered Tenochtitlán, took Moctezuma II captive, and later returned after an Aztec uprising forced the Spanish to retreat. In 1521, his forces captured Tenochtitlán after a siege. Cortés later served as Governor and Captain-General of New Spain, but political disputes led to his removal.
Personal Facts
- Also Known As: Hernándo Cortés, Hernán Cortéz.
- Born: Cortés was born in 1485 in Medellín, Spain.
- Died: December 2, 1547, in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Spain.
- Major Accomplishments:
- Cortés participated in the Conquest of Cuba.
- He led the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs and defeated them in the Battle of Tenochtitlan (1521).
- Cortés served as Governor and Captain-General of New Spain.
- Part Of:
- European Adventurers.
- Spanish Conquest of the Americas.
- Era: Exploration and Settlement.
Biography
Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer and Conquistador who rose to prominence by leading the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire. Born in Medellín, Spain, in 1485, Cortés studied law at the University of Salamanca before traveling to the Indies.
Around age 18, he bought passage to the New World and settled on Hispaniola in 1503, where he worked as a farmer and trader. He rose to prominence while serving under Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in the Conquest of Cuba. Cortés was given land and gained political influence, eventually becoming Mayor of Santiago, the capital of Cuba.
In 1518, Velázquez selected Cortés to lead an expedition to Mexico to establish trade with the Native peoples. When rumors spread that Cortés intended to conquer Mexico, Velázquez tried to cancel the expedition, but it was too late. Cortés defied Velázquez by launching his fleet of 11 ships in February 1519, earlier than expected.
After reaching Cozumel and the Mexican mainland, he encountered Natives, introduced them to Catholicism, and sent men to explore Yucatán. Soon after, Gerónimo de Aguilar joined him. Aguilar spoke Mayan and served as a translator.
Cortés left Cozumel in March 1519. The expedition landed at Champotón, where it was met by Tabascans who were prepared for battle. Cortés declared Spain’s right to rule over them, but the Tabascans did not understand him. In the ensuing battle, the Spanish routed the Tabascans. Afterward, the Tabascans gave Cortés slaves, including a woman named Malinche, who spoke Nahuatl. She eventually became his wife, and they had a child together.
Cortés sailed from Champotón and traveled westward to San Juan de Ulúa. Here, the Natives welcomed him. Cortés sent one of the leaders, a chief named Tendile, to Tenochtitlán to deliver a message to Moctezuma II, the King of Mexico. Tendile returned with the message that Moctezuma did not want him to approach Tenochtitlán. Cortés sent Tendile a second time, but Moctezuma still refused to meet with Cortés.
By this time, the expedition was suffering due to supply shortages. Cortés convinced the men to continue by openly changing the expedition’s purpose from trade to conquest and settlement. Soon after, Cortés founded La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz in the name of King Charles I.
The expedition moved on to Cempoala, where they encountered the Totonacs, who were Aztec subjects and resented Moctezuma. Thanks to his translators, Aguilar and Malinche, Cortés formed an alliance with the Totonacs. Soon after, Spanish reinforcements arrived from Cuba. Determined to march on Tenochtitlán, Cortés ordered his men to burn their ships, leaving them no way to return to Cuba or Hispaniola. Although this upset some of his men, their only option was to follow his plan of conquest.
Cortés left 150 men to defend Veracruz and started his march toward Tenochtitlán in August 1519. During the march, he gained more Native allies, including the Tlaxcalans. The expedition arrived at Cholula in October 1519, where Cortés met resistance. He defeated the Cholulans in what is known as the “Cholula Massacre.” It is estimated that somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 Cholulans were killed. News of the massacre reached Moctezuma, who prepared for Cortés’s arrival, while rumors spread through the city that the Spaniards were sent by one of their gods, Quetzalcoatl.
Moctezuma welcomed Cortés in November 1519 and allowed him to enter the city. According to Cortés, Moctezuma ceded his kingdom to Charles I. Soon after, Cortés held Moctezuma captive in his own house and took control of the city. Many Aztecs resisted and laid siege to the Spaniards, eventually forcing them to withdraw from Tenochtitlán. Afterward, Moctezuma died and was replaced by Cuitláhuac.
In 1520, Velázquez was determined to deal with Cortés. He sent Pánfilo de Narváez to Mexico with about 1,000 soldiers to arrest Cortés. Cortés defeated Narváez with a surprise attack in the Battle of Cempoala (May 28, 1520) and imprisoned him for more than two years. Cortés convinced most of Narváez’s men to join him, as he planned to reorganize his forces and return to Tenochtitlán.
Cortés rebuilt his forces with additional Spanish troops and Native allies and launched his campaign against Tenochtitlán in December 1520. Cortés laid siege ot the city and captured it on August 13, 1521.
After capturing Tenochtitlán, Cortés imposed Spanish law and Catholic practices, distributed land to his officers, and oversaw its reconstruction, renaming it Mexico City. Cortés expanded Spanish rule beyond the city by conquering more Natives in the region, including some who were not subject to Aztec rule.
In 1522, Cortés sent a small fleet to Spain carrying treasure and letters to Charles I that justified his actions. Cortés hoped the King would take his side in his dispute with Velázquez. Charles I responded by confirming him as Governor and Captain-General of New Spain in 1523. Afterward, Cortés expanded his influence in New Spain by expanding Spanish settlement of the region through Encomiendas, with the condition that the Encomenderos remain for at least eight years.
However, political disputes and an unsuccessful expedition to Honduras weakened his position. Cortés returned to Spain in 1528, where Charles I honored his accomplishments but refused to restore his authority in New Spain.
Cortés returned to New Spain and lived near Cuernavaca. He died in Spain in 1547, and his remains were buried in Mexico according to his wishes.
Timeline
- 1485 — Hernán Cortés was born in Medellín, Spain.
- 1492 — Ferdinand and Isabella ended Moorish control in Spain, and Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World.
- 1503 — Cortés sailed for Hispaniola.
- 1518 — Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar selected Cortés to lead an expedition to establish a settlement on the Mexican mainland.
- 1519, February — Cortés left Cuba before Velázquez could revoke his command.
- 1519, March — Cortés left Cozumel and sailed for the Mexican mainland.
- 1519
- Cortés fought the Tabascans at Champotón and later received gold and 20 enslaved women, including Malinche.
- He arrived at San Juan de Ulúa and exchanged messages and gifts with Moctezuma II through Tendile, a translator.
- Cortés founded La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz in the name of the King of Spain.
- He formed an alliance with the Totonacs at Cempoala.
- Cortés ordered his remaining ships stripped and destroyed.
- 1519, August — Cortés left 150 men at Veracruz and marched inland toward the Aztec Empire.
- 1519, September — Cortés reached Cholula, where fighting killed about 6,000 Cholulans and the city was burned.
- 1519, November — Cortés entered Tenochtitlán with Spaniards and Native allies and took Moctezuma II captive.
- 1520
- Pánfilo de Narváez arrived from Cuba with orders that threatened Cortés’s position.
- Cortés defeated Narváez in the Battle of Cempoala (May 28, 1520), and then incorporated his surviving troops into his army.
- Aztec forces besieged the Spanish at Tenochtitlán and forced Cortés to withdraw.
- 1520, December — Cortés launched another campaign against Tenochtitlán.
- 1521, August 13 — Tenochtitlán fell to Cortés and his forces after a devastating siege.
- 1522
- Cortés started rebuilding Tenochtitlán.
- Cortés wrote to Charles I concerning additional treasure for Spain.
- Cortés sent three ships carrying treasure, letters, and reports to Spain.
- 1523 — Charles I confirmed Cortés as Governor and Captain-General of New Spain.
- 1524
- Cortés led an expedition into Honduras to suppress a revolt and punish a subordinate.
- Cortés ordered the execution of Cuauhtémoc and another Native leader during the Honduras Expedition.
- 1528
- Cortés returned to Spain with treasure.
- Charles I honored Cortés but did not restore his authority to govern Mexico.
- 1530 — Cortés returned to New Spain.
- 1547 — Cortés died in Spain.
AP US History
Definition
Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) — Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador who led the Conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. After establishing Veracruz, he marched inland using Spanish military technology, diplomacy, and alliances with Native peoples who opposed Aztec rule. His forces captured Tenochtitlán in 1521, giving Spain control of much of Mexico. Cortés later served as Governor and Captain-General of New Spain, but political disputes eventually reduced his authority.
Alignment
Hernán Cortés is part of the following AP US History sections:
- 1.3 — European Exploration in the Americas
- 1.5 — Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System
- New World Beginnings (33000 B.C.–1769)
Terms
Encomienda System — The Encomienda System was a labor system used in the Spanish Colonies in the Americas during the 16th Century. The system granted a Spanish colonist a specified number of Native peoples to work for them in exchange for the responsibility to Christianize and protect them. The Natives were required to provide labor, often in harsh conditions, and were subject to the control of their Encomendero, the Spanish colonist who was granted the Encomienda. This system was exploitative and led to the mistreatment and abuse of Natives. It was also a precursor to the more formalized system of African slavery that developed later in the Americas.
Encomenderos — Spanish settlers who received grants of land and the labor of Native peoples under the Encomienda System were known as Encomenderos. These individuals were responsible for extracting labor, tribute, and conversion to Christianity from the Native population. The power and influence wielded by Encomenderos allowed them to shape the economic, social, and cultural dynamics of the Spanish colonies, contributing to the establishment of a hierarchical and caste-based society.
