HERNÁN CORTÉS

HERNÁN CORTÉS

HERNÁN CORTÉS is one of the most famous conquistadores. His father, a noble of modest means, served in the military. The young Cortés had studied law before entering the army himself. He served in campaigns in Italy before traveling to the Americas in 1504, becoming a minor official in the WEST INDIES. He served in the conquest of Cuba under conquistador DIEGO VELÁSQUEZ, a veteran of Moorish campaigns, in 1511. Seven years later, Cortés received a commission from Velásquez for an expedition to the Yucatán Peninsula. Following a dispute, Velásquez dismissed Cortés, but Cortés proceeded on the expedition anyway. Velásquez sent professional soldier PÁNFILO DE NÁRVAEZ—cited as one of the cruelest of conquistadores by Spanish missionary Bartolomé de las Casas, based on his actions against the Arawak (Taino) Indians of Cuba—to arrest Cortés, but Cortés defeated Nárvaez on the Mexican mainland. Nárvaez was imprisoned, and most of his men joined Cortés in the conquest of the Aztec, which he accomplished in 1521. In the course of his conquest, he took Aztec ruler Montezuma hostage. The great riches obtained from the Aztec and shipped to Spain led to Cortés’s being named Captain General of New Spain (the original Spanish name for Mexico). BERNAL DÍAZ DEL  CASTILLO, who served under Cortés, went on to write an account of the conquest of the Aztec, entitled Crónica de la conquista de Nueva España (The True History of the Conquest of New Spain), which is an essential source of information about conquistadores.

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