Read complete books and articles on: Hernan (Hernando) Cortes

CortÉs, HernÁn - or Hernando Cortezkôrtĕzˈ, Span. ārnänˈ, ārnänˈdō kōrtāsˈ, 1485–1547, Spanish conquistador, conqueror of Mexico.

Expedition to Mexico

Cortés went (1504) first to Hispaniola and later (1511) accompanied Diego de Velázquez to Cuba. In 1518 he was chosen to

CortÉs, HernÁn - or Hernando Cortezkôrtĕzˈ, Span. ārnänˈ, ārnänˈdō kōrtāsˈ, 1485–1547, Spanish conquistador, conqueror of Mexico.

Expedition to Mexico

Cortés went (1504) first to Hispaniola and later (1511) accompanied Diego de Velázquez to Cuba. In 1518 he was chosen to lead an expedition to Mexico. Although Velázquez later sought to recall his commission, Cortés sailed in Feb., 1519. In Yucatán he rescued a Spaniard who had learned the Mayan language; after a victory over the native people of Tabasco, Cortés acquired the services of a female slave Malinche—baptized Marina—who knew both Maya and Aztec. Having proceeded up the coast, Cortés founded Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz and was chosen captain general by the cabildo; thus he discarded Velázquez's authority and became responsible only to Charles V.

Fall of the Aztec Empire

Cortés, learning that the Aztec empire of Montezuma was honeycombed with dissension, assumed the role of deliverer and rallied the coastal Totonacs to his standard; he also began negotiations with Montezuma. Scuttling his ships to prevent the return of any Velázquez sympathizers to Cuba, he began his famous march to Tenochtitlán (modern Mexico City), capital of the Aztec empire. He defeated the Tlaxcalan warriors and then formed an alliance with the so-called republic of Tlaxcala; practically destroyed Cholula; and arrived at Tenochtitlán in Nov., 1519. There the superstitious Montezuma received the Spanish as descendants of the god Quetzalcoatl. Cortés seized his opportunity, took Montezuma hostage, and attempted to govern through him.

In the spring of 1520, Cortés went to the coast, where he defeated a force under Pánfilo de Narváez. Pedro de Alvarado, left in command, impetuously massacred many Aztecs, and soon after Cortés's return the Aztecs besieged the Spanish. In the ensuing battle, Montezuma was killed. The Spanish, seeking safety in flight, fought their way out of the city with heavy losses on the noche triste [sad night] (June 30, 1520). Still in retreat, they defeated an Aztec army at Otumba and retired to Tlaxcala.

The next year Cortés attacked the capital, and after a three-month siege Tenochtitlán fell (Aug. 13, 1521). With it fell the Aztec empire. As captain general, Cortés extended the conquest by sending expeditions over most of Mexico and into N Central America. In 1524–26, Cortés himself went to Honduras, killing Cuauhtémoc, the Aztec emperor, in the course of the expedition.

Later Career

In Cortés's absence his enemies at home gradually triumphed, and after his return his power was made more fictitious than real by the audiencia. Although on his visit to Spain (1528–30) Cortés was made marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, Charles V refused to name him governor. Returning to Mexico, he vainly sent out maritime expeditions, frustrated more than once by Nuño de Guzmán. Subsequently he quarreled with the viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, and in 1540 he again sought justice in Spain. There, neglected by the court, he died.

Bibliography

The best-known contemporary account of the conquest is that of Bernal Díaz del Castillo. See the letters of Cortés (tr. by F. A. MacNutt, 1908); W. H. Prescott, Conquest of Mexico (1937); H. Thomas, Conquest: Montezuma, Cortés, and the Fall of Old Mexico (1994); studies by S. de Madariaga (1942, repr. 1969) and H. R. Wagner (1944, repr. 1969).

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9 of the Best Books and Articles on: Hernan (Hernando) Cortes

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Legends of the Plumed Serpent: Biography of a Mexican God (Chap. XIV "Cortes and Moctezuma") » Read Now
by Neil Baldwin. 205 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

In an erudite tour of the archaeological treasures of Mexico, Neil Baldwin explores the unusual biography of a myth and a detailed cultural history. Color photos.
2.

Spanish Sea: The Gulf of Mexico in North American Discovery, 1500-1685 (Chap. 5 "Prelude to Conquest: Cortes and Velazquez, 1518-19") » Read Now
by Robert S. Weddle. 457 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
3.

The Transmission of Culture in Early Modern Europe (Chap. 3 "Cortes, Signs, and the Conquest of Mexico") » Read Now
by Ann Blair, Anthony Grafton. 328 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
4.

War in the Early Modern World ("Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico" begins on p. 207) » Read Now
by Jeremy Black. 268 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
5.

Readings in Latin-American Civilization: 1492 to the Present ("The Meeting of Cortes and Montezuma" begins on p. 63) » Read Now
by Benjamin Keen. 478 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library
6.

The Conquest of the Last Maya Kingdom (Discussion of Hernan Cortes begins on p. 29) » Read Now
by Grant D. Jones. 572 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

On March 13, 1697, Spanish troops from Yucatan attacked and occupied Nojpeten, the capital of the Maya people known as Itzas, the inhabitants of the last unconquered native New World kingdom. This political and ritual center -- located on a small island in a lake in the tropical forests of northern...
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On March 13, 1697, Spanish troops from Yucatan attacked and occupied Nojpeten, the capital of the Maya people known as Itzas, the inhabitants of the last unconquered native New World kingdom. This political and ritual center -- located on a small island in a lake in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala -- was densely covered with temples, royal palaces, and thatched houses, and its capture represented a decisive moment in the final chapter of the Spanish conquest of the Mayas.
The capture of Nojpeten climaxed more than two years of preparation by the Spaniards, after efforts by the military forces and Franciscan missionaries to negotiate a peaceful surrender with the Itzas had been rejected by the Itza ruling council and its ruler Ajaw Kan Ek'. The conquest, far from being final, initiated years of continued struggle between Yucatecan and Guatemalan Spaniards and native Maya groups for control over the surrounding forests. Despite protracted resistance from the native inhabitants, thousands of them were forced to move into mission towns, though in 1704 the Mayas staged an abortive and bloody rebellion that threatened to recapture Nojpeten from the Spaniards.
The first complete account of the conquest of the Itzas to appear since 1701, this book details the layers of political intrigue and action that characterized every aspect of the conquest and its aftermath. The author critically reexamines the extensive documentation left by the Spaniards, presenting much new information on Maya political and social organization and Spanish military and diplomatic strategy.
This is not only one of the most detailed studies of any Spanish conquest in the Americas but also one of the mostcomprehensive reconstructions of an independent Maya kingdom in the history of Maya studies. In presenting the story of the Itzas, the author also reveals much about neighboring lowland Maya groups with whom the Itzas intera
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7.

Brutality and Benevolence: Human Ethology, Culture, and the Birth of Mexico (Discussion of Hernan Cortes begins on p. 69) » Read Now
by Abel A. Alves. 256 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

The Spanish conquest of Mexico is examined from the entirely new perspective of human animal behavior, or human ethology. Aspects of material culture like food, clothing, and shelter are explored as they relate to species-specific tendencies, including benevolence, brutality, xenophobia, curiosity, hierarchy, reciprocity, and territoriality.
8.

Hombres y Machos: Masculinity and Latino Culture (Discussion of Hernan Cortes begins on p. 45) » Read Now
by Alfredo Mirande. 195 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

"Should become a standard reference point for future gender research among Latinos & among men in the United States." Latino Review of Books "This is a much-needed book in gender studies, destined to make an impact & to have a place in the thriving field of men & masculinity." Maxine Baca Zinn Michigan State University
9.

Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism ("Cortes, Hernan" begins on p. 156) » Read Now
by Ross Marlay, James S. Olson, William G. Ratliff, Joseph M. Rowe Jr., Robert Shadle. 788 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

This unique reference work on the history of European imperialism is designed to provide a ready reference tool for students and scholars. Its major focus is the Spanish, Portuguese, British, Dutch, French, German, Belgian, and Italian empires during the past 500 years. The dictionary offers brief...
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This unique reference work on the history of European imperialism is designed to provide a ready reference tool for students and scholars. Its major focus is the Spanish, Portuguese, British, Dutch, French, German, Belgian, and Italian empires during the past 500 years. The dictionary offers brief descriptive essays on a variety of topics--colonies, prominent individuals, legislation, treaties, conferences, wars, revolutions, and technologies. References at the end of each entry provide sources of additional information for those interested in further research. Cross-references within the text help the reader to find related items.
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