Hernando Cortez Entering Mexico, 1519

Hernando Cortez Entering Mexico, 1519

Caption: "Hernando Cortes landing in Mexico in 1519, met by natives; with foliate borders and a portrait of Cortes in a medallion." Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro (1485 - December 2, 1547) was a Spanish Conquistador. Born at Medellin into minor nobility, and after studying at Salamanca he chose to look for his fortune in Hispaniola and later Cuba. In 1519, against the orders of the Governor, he led an expedition to the mainland that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile. He used a native woman, Doña Marina, as an interpreter; she would later bear him a son. When the Governor of Cuba sent emissaries to arrest Cortés, he fought them and won. He wrote letters directly to the king asking to be acknowledged for his successes instead he was punished for mutiny. After he overthrew the Aztec Empire, Cortés was awarded the title of Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca. In 1541 he returned to Spain, where he died, in 1547, an embittered 61 year old man.

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26.6 x 38.1 cm | 10.5 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)