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Who Was Hernán Cortés?
EARLY LIFE
Cortés was born December 1485, in Medellin, Spain, to parents who were Spanish nobility, but who were poor.
A man by the name of Francisco López de Gómara knew Cortés and wrote a little bit about his life. From de Gómara we learn that as a young man, Cortés:
was sent by his parents to another city to study "because he was very intelligent and clever in everything he did.”
“a source of trouble to his parents.”
went to become a soldier but instead “wandered idly about for nearly a year.”
was "ruthless, haughty, and mischievous."
ARRIVAL IN THE AMERICAS
About this time, news of Columbus' discoveries in the Americas arrived in Spain.
In 1504, Cortés sailed to the island of Hispaniola in the Americas. This area is now the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
This picture to the right shows how far he traveled.
HIS TRAVELS IN THE AMERICAS
HISPANIOLA AND CUBA
When Cortés arrived in Hispaniola, he became a farmer and a member of the town council.
In 1511, Cortés sailed with an expedition to conquer the island of Cuba.
After helping to conquer Cuba, Cortés became the secretary to the treasurer of Cuba. His job was to make sure that the correct taxes were sent to the King and Queen of Spain.
He was given land and slaves that had been captured by the Spanish. He also became the mayor of Santiago, Cuba. During this time, Francisco López de Gómara described Cortés as: "in all he did, in his presence, bearing, conversation, manner of eating and of dressing, gave signs of being a great lord.”
LEAVING FOR MEXICO
In 1518, Cortés left Cuba to help establish a Spanish colony in what is now the country of Mexico. Before leaving on this new expedition, Cortés told his men: "We ought to leave off small things, when great matters do offer themselves."
Cortés also told them: "I will with God's help make you in short time the richest men that ever passed this way. I do see you are but few in number, but yet such men of haughty courage, that no force or strength of Indians can offend. Likewise we have experience, that Christ our Savior hath always favored our nation in these parties. Therefore my dear friends, let us now in God's name depart joyfull, expecting good success"
This map shows the route Cortés took, from where he first landed in what is today Mexico, all the way to Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital city.
Click here to read the quote above in more modern language...
“With God’s help, I will make you the richest men who have ever been here. There are only a few of you, but you are very brave. No group of Indians can beat you. Christ has helped us before, and I believe he will help us again. So, my friends, let’s go forward happily and hope for good things to happen.”
THE YUCATAN
Cortés sailed for the Yucatan Peninsula - landing at Tobasco. He had 11 ships, 508 soldiers, 100 sailors, 16 horses, and some cannons. He and his men continued on to Veracruz, making alliances with local native people and getting more information about this land that was new to him and the other Spanish conquerors.
After taking over the area we now know as Veracruz, Mexico, Cortés met native people who were being taxed by the Aztecs. These people were under the control of the Aztecs and had been defeated by them. Some of their people had been taken by the Aztecs as sacrifices.
Cortés decided to join with these people to fight the Aztecs. He also had his own ships sunk. This made sure that his soldiers were fully committed to his plans. Cortés wanted to conquer - he wanted to get Aztec gold.
Cortés once said: "We Spaniards know a sickness of the heart that only gold can cure."
TENOCHTITLÁN
Cortés, his soldiers, and his Native American allies, marched further inland toward what is today Mexico City. The Spanish conquerors arrived at the Aztec capital city: Tenochtitlán.
At Tenochtitlán, Cortés and his men met the Aztec ruler Montezuma.
This is a drawing made by the Spanish showing this meeting.
Montezuma allowed Cortés and his soldiers into the city, hoping to find their weaknesses so the Aztecs could defeat them later.
Montezuma also gave the Spanish conquerors gold, hoping to get them to leave peacefully. This only caused them to want more.
Remember what Cortés said: "We Spaniards know a sickness of the heart that only gold can cure."
Here is how Cortés described the Aztec capital city Tenochtitlán:
"The city is as large as Seville or Cordova (two cities in Spain with populations around 70,000 people) ; its streets, I speak of the [major] ones, are very wide and straight; some of these, and all the [smaller] ones, are half land and half water, and are navigated by canoes."
"There are fully forty towers, which are lofty and well built, the largest of which has fifty steps leading to its main [part], and is higher than the tower of the principal tower of the church at Seville."
"This city has many public squares, in which are situated the markets and other places for buying and selling."
Cortés and his men found temples in the city Tenochtitlán.
"Among these temples there is one which far surpasses all the rest, whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe; for within its precincts, surrounded by a lofty wall, there is room enough for a town of five hundred families."
These temples were built to the Aztec gods, and the temples contained representations of their gods. Cortés refers to these as idols.
"Thus they have an idol that they [pray to] for victory in war; another for success in their labors; and so for everything in which they seek or desire prosperity, they have their idols, which they honor and serve."
Photograph taken by Eduardo Alfaro Mellado
THE FALL OF TENOCHTITLÁN
Cortés believed that the Aztecs saw him as either the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, or as a representative of Quetzalcoatl.
Cortés basically kept Montezuma a hostage in his own city - he let Montezuma rule, but he made the decisions.
Another Spanish conqueror came to Mexico to challenge Cortés' rule. Cortés left Tenochtitlán with most of his army to fight this challenger. He left behind some soldiers to maintain his rule over the Aztecs.
While Cortés was away, the soldiers he left behind killed many Aztec warriors and nobles at a celebration.
Here is the Aztec account of this attack:
"Here it is told how the Spaniards killed, they murdered the Aztecs who were celebrating the Fiesta of Huitzilopochtli in the place they called The Patio of the Gods.
At this time, when everyone was enjoying the celebration, when everyone was already dancing, when everyone was already singing, when song was linked to song and the songs roared like waves, in that precise moment the Spaniards determined to kill people. They came into the patio, armed for battle.
They came to close the exits, the steps, the entrances [to the patio]: The Gate of the Eagle in the smallest palace, The Gate of the Canestalk and the Gate of the Snake of Mirrors. And when they had closed them, no one could get out anywhere.
Once they had done this, they entered the Sacred Patio to kill people. They came on foot, carrying swords and wooden and metal shields. Immediately, they surrounded those who danced, then rushed to the place where the drums were played. They attacked the man who was drumming and cut off both his arms. Then they cut off his head [with such a force] that it flew off, falling far away.
At that moment, they then attacked all the people, stabbing them, spearing them, wounding them with their swords. They struck some from behind, who fell instantly to the ground with their entrails hanging out [of their bodies]. They cut off the heads of some and smashed the heads of others into little pieces.
Eager to flee, they found nowhere to go.
Some tried to escape, but the Spaniards murdered them at the gates while they laughed. Others climbed the walls, but they could not save themselves. Others entered the communal house, where they were safe for a while. Others lay down among the victims and pretended to be dead. But if they stood up again they [the Spaniards] would see them and kill them.
The blood of the warriors ran like water as they ran, forming pools, which widened, as the smell of blood and entrails fouled the air.
And the Spaniards walked everywhere, searching the communal houses to kill those who were hiding. They ran everywhere, they searched every place.
When [people] outside [the Sacred Patio learned of the massacre], shouting began, 'Captains, Mexicas, come here quickly! Come here with all arms, spears, and shields! Our captains have been murdered! Our warriors have been slain! Oh Mexica captains, [our warriors] have been annihilated!'
Then a roar was heard, screams, people wailed, as they beat their palms against their lips. Quickly the captains assembled, as if planned in advance, and carried their spears and shields. Then the battle began. [The Mexicas] attacked them with arrows and even javelins, including small javelins used for hunting birds. They furiously hurled their javelins [at the Spaniards]. It was as if a layer of yellow canes spread over the Spaniards."
Here is a simplified version of the quote:
The Aztecs were having a big party to celebrate their god, Huitzilopochtli. Everyone was singing and dancing in a special courtyard called the Patio of the Gods. Suddenly, the Spanish soldiers decided to attack. They came in with weapons and blocked all the doors so no one could escape.
The soldiers started hurting and killing the people who were celebrating. They hurt the drummer first, then attacked everyone else. Some people tried to run away, but they couldn’t get out. Some hid, but the soldiers found them. There was a lot of blood, and it was a very sad and scary scene.
People outside the courtyard heard the noise and started shouting for help. Aztec warriors gathered their weapons and came to fight back. They used arrows and javelins against the Spanish soldiers, and a big battle began.
Cortés returned to find his soldiers under attack from the Aztecs. He organized his armies and his Native American allies and fought back against the Aztecs. The Spanish eventually defeated the Aztecs and the Aztec empire fell.
The Spanish had the advantages of modern weapons - like armor, guns, and steel, horses, thousands of native allies and diseases -like a destructive smallpox epidemic - that the Aztecs had no immunity to.
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