Explorers for kids hernan cortes biography

He founded Veracruz and Mexico City before going on to discover California. This page details facts about Hernan Cortes's life and the events that shaped his history. Privacy Statement. Site Index. Published Global Anchor Limited. Modified By James Drake. Hernan Cortes. Hernan Cortes - Explorer - He was the son of Martin Cortes de Monroy, an infantry captain.

During his lifetime he was most commonly referred to as Hernando or Fernando Cortes. He spent much of his later years seeking recognition for his achievements and support from the Spanish royal court. He passed away on December 2nd near Seville. He was 62 years old at that time. He went to Hispaniola and later to Cubawhere 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. Inhe was elected captain of the third expedition to the mainland, which he partly funded. She later bore his first son. He was of good stature and body, well proportioned and stocky, the color of his face was somewhat grey, not very cheerful, and a longer face would have suited him more.

Explorers for kids hernan cortes biography

His eyes seemed at times loving and at times grave and serious. His beard was black and sparse, as was his hair, which at the time he sported in the same way as his beard. He had a high chest, a well shaped back and was lean with little belly. At the age of 14, he was sent to study Latin under an uncle in Salamanca. Later historians have misconstrued this personal tutoring as time enrolled at the University of Salamanca.

However, those two years in Salamancaplus his long period of training and experience as a notary, first in Valladolid and later in Hispaniolagave him knowledge of the legal codes of Castile that he applied to help justify his unauthorized conquest of Mexico. The year-old youth had returned home to feel constrained life in his small provincial town.

By this time, news of the exciting discoveries of Christopher Columbus in the New World was streaming back to Spain. This island is now divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He spent the next year wandering the country, probably spending most of his time in Spain's southern ports of CadizPalosSanlucarand Seville. He finally left for Hispaniola in and became a colonist.

This new position of power also made him the new source of leadership, which opposing forces in the colony could then turn to. He stopped in Trinidad, Cubato hire more soldiers and obtain more horses. There he encountered Geronimo de Aguilara Spanish Franciscan priest who had survived a shipwreck followed by a period in captivity with the Mayabefore escaping.

Then he proceeded to Tabascowhere he met with resistance and won a battle against the natives. He received twenty young indigenous women from the vanquished natives, and he converted them all to Christianity. In Julyhis men took over Veracruz. In Veracruz, he met some of the tributaries of the Aztecs and asked them to arrange a meeting with Moctezuma IIthe tlatoani ruler of the Aztec Empire.

The Otomis initially, and then the Tlaxcalans fought with the Spanish in a series of three battles from 2 to 5 Septemberand at one point, Diaz remarked, "they surrounded us on every side". He took part in several expeditions for Spain, most notably into Mexico where he conquered the Aztec Empire. He founded Veracruz and Mexico City before going on to discover California.

This page details facts about Hernan Cortes's life and the events that shaped his history. He was the son of Martin Cortes de Monroy, an infantry captain. The leader of the expedition gave him a large estate as a reward. However, not long before the expedition was due to leave, Velazquez relieved Cortes of his command. Hernan Cortes chose to ignore the orders and, in Februaryset off for Mexico.

While there, he came upon Geronimo de Aguilar, a Franciscan Friar who had escaped from the Mayans after being captured following a shipwreck.