Hernan Cortes
Alvaro Torres
Life
Hernan Cortes was a Spanish explorer born in 1485 in Medellin, Spain. He studied at the Univesity of Salamanca, in 1504 he left Spain in order to seek new lands and fortune. He arrived to the Island of Cuba and worked as a notary for various years. He was sponsored by Spain through Diego Velasquez, the Spanish ruler of Cuba. He conquered Mexico and defeated the Aztecs, he later became the governor of this region. Hernan died at the age of 38 in Spain, and was buried later in the Church of Jesus of Nazareth in Mexico City.
Expeditions
- Cortes decided to sail to the new world in 1511 and arrived in Cuba
- Cortes is sent by Diego Velasquez to explore the Mexican territories in 1519
- He takes over the Aztec empire and starts to make expeditions to the rest of the continent (Northern Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala)
Quotes
- I love to travel, but hate to arrive.
We Spaniards know a sickness of the heart that only gold can cure.
- He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest.
Cortes takes over new territories
Due to the arrival of Hernan Cortes and the 400 men who joined him, the Aztec empire confronted the Spanish army. The Spanish and the Aztecs fought for two years, when the Spanish had finally taken over the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan. Cortes established a new form of government and forced the indigenous to work for them. He also started to spread the Catholic religion across the territory, the evangelizers restored a system in which it would be easy for the indigenous people to learn about the religion. He basically changed the lives of the indigenous people.