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Hernán Cortés 1485 -1547

► Hernán Cortés was the conquistador who conquered Mexico for Spain ► Cortés was part of a new generation that would establish the Spanish Empire in the Americas

Early Life ► Born in Medellin, in the Kingdom of Castile in Spain in 1485 ► His father, Martín Cortés de Monroy, was an infantry captain of distinguished ancestry but slender means. ► His mother was Catalina Pizarro Altamirano ► Second cousin to Francisco Pizarro, who later conquered the Inca empire of modern-day Peru ► Studied at the University of Salamanca

Arrival in the New World ► It was planned in 1502 for Cortés to sail to the Americas ► Finally arrived in 1503, reaching Hispaniola ► Later sailed to Santo Domingo, the capital of Hispaniola and applied for citizenship ► Citizenship entitled him to land

The Invasion of Mexico ► Most notable achievement of Cortés career, was the invasion of Mexico and the conquest of the Aztec empire ► The decisive battle in this campaign was the seige of Tenochtitlan ► Victory over the Aztecs enabled the eventual Spanish conquest of Mexico

Appointment to Governorship of Mexico ► Because of his conquests, Cortés was very popular back home in Spain. ► King Charles I of Spain, appointed Cortés governor and captain general of the newly conquered territory. ► Cortés received the title Marques del Valle de Oaxaca in 1528.

Appointment to Governorship of Mexico (con. . . ) ► Cortés began the construction of Mexico City on the Aztec ruins and brought many Spaniards over to live there. ► Became the most important European city in North America ► Cortés also supported efforts to convert Indians to Christianity ► Cortés spent the next seven years establishing peace among the Indians of Mexico and developing mines and farmlands.

► In Exploration of Honduras 1524, his restless urge to explore and conquer took Cortés south to the jungles of Honduras. ► Cortés took off on an expedition through Guatemala to Honduras to punish a fellow Spaniard who had betrayed him, and with his departure all shadow of personal authority left Mexico. ► The two arduous years that he spent on this disastrous expedition damaged his health and his position.

Final Days and Death ► Having spent a great deal of his own money to finance expeditions, he was now heavily in debt. ► In February 1544 he made a claim on the royal treasury, but was given a royal runaround for the next three years. ► Disgusted, he decided to return to Mexico in 1547. When he reached Seville, he was stricken with dysentery ► He died in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Seville province, on Dec. 2, 1547, from a case of pleurisy at age 62.

Assessment of Cortés ► In Mexico today, Cortés is condemned as a modern-day damnatio memoriae. ► In all of Mexico only the castle in the center of Cuernavaca city bears his name. ► Muralists depict him as a deformed monster with the face of Evil Incarnate

Facts ► You can spell his last name either Cortes or Cortez. ► Hernando and Fernando are Hernan's nicknames. ► He was the governor of Cuba.