Who was Hernan Cortes and what did he do?
“He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest.” “Better to die with honor than live dishonored.” Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who explored Central America, overthrew Montezuma and his vast Aztec empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain. Who Was Hernán Cortés?
When did Hernan Cortes regain control of Tenochtitlan?
During the Spanish retreat, Montezuma was killed and much of the plunder the Spanish had taken was lost. But Cortés was far from finished. His forces defeated the Aztecs in Battle of Otumba on July 7, 1520, and he regained control of Tenochtitlan by August 13, 1521.
What was Hernando Cortes first expedition?
Hernan Cortes. Contents. Born around 1485 in Medellín, Spain, Cortés first served as a soldier in an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velázquez in 1511. In 1519 Cortés was to command his own expedition to Mexico, but Velázquez cancelled it. Cortés ignored the order and traveled with about 500 men and 11 ships to Mexico.
When did Hernan Cortes go to Honduras and Baja California?
He traveled to Honduras in 1524 to stop a rebellion against him in the area. In 1536, Cortés led an expedition to the northwestern part of Mexico, in the process exploring Baja California and Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Hernan Cortes was a conquistador and explorer that defeated the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain.
How old was Hernan Cortes when he arrived in Santo Domingo?
The history of the conquistadores is rife with accounts of rivalry, jockeying for positions, mutiny, and betrayal. Upon his arrival in 1504 in Santo Domingo, the capital of Hispaniola, the 18-year-old Cortés registered as a citizen; this entitled him to a building plot and land to farm.
How is Hernan Cortes related to Francisco Pizarro?
Cortés was a distant cousin to Francisco Pizarro, the explorer who conquered the Incan empire in Peru. Cortés’ family was noble but not extremely wealthy. As a young child, Cortés was frequently ill, but his health improved when he was a teenager.