Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro (c. 1485 – 2 December 1547) was a Spanish conquistador who directed the military expedition that overthrew the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521, thereby incorporating central Mexico into the Spanish domains and establishing the foundation for New Spain. Born in Medellín, Extremadura, to hidalgo parents, Cortés initially pursued law studies before emigrating to Hispaniola in 1504, where he engaged in expeditions against native resistance and administrative roles under governors.

In 1519, commissioned by Cuban governor Diego Velázquez for reconnaissance but exceeding his mandate, Cortés assembled a force of around 500 men, scuttled his fleet to forestall mutiny or retreat, and advanced into the Aztec heartland, forging alliances with polities such as the Tlaxcalteca who resented Aztec hegemony and tribute demands. These pacts, coupled with tactical superiority in steel weapons, horses, gunpowder, and inadvertently introduced diseases that decimated Aztec populations, enabled the siege and capture of Tenochtitlan despite initial setbacks like the Noche Triste. His Cartas de relación, dispatches to Emperor Charles V, provide firsthand rationales for these maneuvers, emphasizing diplomatic overtures and justifications against Aztec practices including mass human sacrifice.