Hernan Cortes

Origins: Born around $1485$ in Medellín, Spain, to a minor noble family.
Education: Likely trained as a notary in Valladolid, giving him a strong grasp of Spanish law, which he later used to justify his conquests.
Move to Americas: In $1504$ , he left for the Americas, arriving in Hispaniola.

Cuba: Aided Diego Velázquez in conquering Cuba ( $1511$ ) and served as a local official.
The Expedition ( $1519$ ): Despite Velázquez's attempts to stop him, Cortés sailed to the Mexican coast with $11$ ships and over $500$ men.
Malintzin (Doña Marina): Acquired an indigenous woman who spoke both Mayan and Nahuatl. She became his translator, lover, and a key strategist in navigating Aztec politics.
Veracruz: Founded the town of Veracruz to establish a legal claim to authority independent of the Governor of Cuba.

Aztec Tensions: Cortés exploited the hatred other indigenous groups (like the Tlaxcalans) felt toward the Aztecs because of their demands for tribute and human sacrifice.
Meeting Moctezuma II: In November $1519$ , Cortés entered Tenochtitlán. Though initially received as an ambassador, he soon took the Aztec leader, Moctezuma II, hostage.
La Noche Triste ( $1520$ ): After a massacre led by his lieutenant Alvarado, the Spaniards were forced to retreat under heavy fire, suffering massive casualties.
The Fall of Tenochtitlán ( $1521$ ): Cortés rallied his forces and besieged the city. A smallpox outbreak (introduced by the Europeans) decimated the Aztec population. The last emperor, Cuauhtémoc, surrendered on August $13$ , $1521$ .

New Spain: Cortés was appointed Governor in $1522$ . He rebuilt Tenochtitlán as Mexico City and established the encomienda system, which assigned indigenous labor to Spanish settlers.
Political Shift: Over time, the Spanish Crown replaced his political power with formal bureaucrats. In $1530$ , he was made the Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, focusing on his vast estates (haciendas), mining, and trade.
Death: He retired to Spain in $1540$ and died on December $2$ , $1547$ . In his will, he requested that his remains be returned to Mexico and funded several charitable institutions.