Hernán Cortés

1485 – 2 December 1547

Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was a Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that brought about the fall of the Aztec Empire and placed central Mexico under Spanish rule. Between 1519 and 1521 he allied with indigenous peoples opposed to the Aztecs and captured the capital Tenochtitlan, becoming governor of New Spain. His conquest caused enormous loss of life and the destruction of the Aztec state, and his legacy remains deeply contested.

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Lived at the same time

Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Hernán Cortés.

Life events

Born in Medellín, Castile
1485

Cortés was born in 1485 in Medellín, Extremadura, to a family of lesser nobility.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Studied at Salamanca
c. 1499

As a teenager Cortés was sent to Salamanca, where he studied Latin and gained some legal training before abandoning his studies.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Emigrated to Hispaniola
1504

Cortés sailed to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, where he worked as a notary and received land and indigenous laborers.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Took part in the Spanish conquest of Cuba
1511

Cortés joined Diego Velázquez's expedition to Cuba and later served as an official in the new colony, becoming mayor of Santiago.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Led an expedition from Cuba to the Mexican mainland
February 1519

Defying Governor Velázquez's revocation of his commission, Cortés sailed for Mexico with about eleven ships and 500 men.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Entered Tenochtitlan and met Moctezuma II
8 November 1519

Cortés and his forces, with Tlaxcalan allies, entered the Aztec capital and were received by the emperor Moctezuma II, whom Cortés later took captive.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Driven from Tenochtitlan on La Noche Triste
30 June 1520

An Aztec uprising forced the Spanish and their allies to flee the city with heavy losses during the night known as La Noche Triste.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Captured Tenochtitlan, bringing down the Aztec Empire
13 August 1521

After a prolonged siege, Cortés's forces and their indigenous allies took Tenochtitlan and captured the last emperor, Cuauhtémoc.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Named governor and captain-general of New Spain
15 October 1522

Charles V appointed Cortés governor, captain-general, and chief justice of the newly conquered territory of New Spain.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Created Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca
6 July 1529

During a visit to Spain, Cortés was ennobled by Charles V as Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, though he was not restored to the governorship.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died at Castilleja de la Cuesta, near Seville
2 December 1547

Cortés died in Spain in 1547; his remains were later moved to Mexico.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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