Hernán Cortés
![18th-century portrait of Cortés based on the one sent by the conqueror to [[Paolo Giovio]], which has served as a model for many of his representations since the 16th century](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Retrato_de_Hern%C3%A1n_Cort%C3%A9s.jpg)
Born in Medellín, Spain, to a family of lesser nobility, Cortés chose to pursue adventure and riches in the New World. He went to Hispaniola and later to Cuba, where he received an ''encomienda'' (the right to the labor of certain subjects). For a short time, he served as ''alcalde'' (magistrate) of the second Spanish town founded on the island. In 1519, he was elected captain of the third expedition to the mainland, which he partly funded. His enmity with the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, resulted in the recall of the expedition at the last moment, an order which Cortés ignored.
Arriving on the continent, Cortés executed a successful strategy of allying with some indigenous people against others. He also used a native woman, Doña Marina, as an interpreter. She later gave birth to his first son. When the governor of Cuba sent emissaries to arrest Cortés, he fought them and won, using the extra troops as reinforcements. Cortés wrote letters directly to the king asking to be acknowledged for his successes instead of being punished for mutiny. After he overthrew the Aztec Empire, Cortés was awarded the title of ''marqués del Valle de Oaxaca'', while the more prestigious title of viceroy was given to a high-ranking nobleman, Antonio de Mendoza. In 1541 Cortés returned to Spain, where he died six years later of natural causes. Provided by Wikipedia
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1by Cortés, Hernán, Castillo-Ruiz, Mario, Cañon-Jones, Hernán, Schlotterbeck, Trinidad, San Martín, Ricardo, Padilla, LeandroGet access
Published in Animals (2023)
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