Hernán Cortés

Introduction
Years in Hispaniola and Cuba
The expedition to Mexico
Later years

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Painting depicting Spanish conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar handing command to Hernan Cortes near ships, with crew and indigenous laborers in the background.

Illustration of Hernan Cortes, dressed in red and white, meeting Aztec Emperor Montezuma II, who wears elaborate gold and feathered attire, inside a richly decorated room.

Cortés and his men retreating from Tenochtitlán

Cuernavaca, Mexico: palace of Hernán Cortés

Stone facade of the Cortes Palace in Cuernavaca, Mexico, with a central tower, arched windows, a statue of Cortes on a pedestal, and a small garden with flowers in front.

At a Glance

Hernán Cortés summary

Quizzes

Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)

History Buff Quiz

Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.

Exploration and Discovery

Related Questions

How did Hernán Cortés become involved in the Spanish conquest of Cuba?
How did Hernán Cortés communicate with King Charles V about his actions in Mexico?
How did Hernán Cortés form an alliance with the Totonac people?
How did Hernán Cortés gain information from Indigenous people in Tabasco?
How did Malinche help Hernán Cortés communicate with the Aztecs and other Indigenous peoples?
How did Montezuma II die during the conflict with the Spanish?
How did Montezuma II receive Hernán Cortés in Tenochtitlán?
How did smallpox affect Tenochtitlán during the Spanish conquest?
How did the town council at Veracruz help Hernán Cortés break from Diego Velázquez’s authority?
How long did the siege of Tenochtitlán last?
How many ships and soldiers did Hernán Cortés bring on his 1519 expedition to Mexico?
How was Tenochtitlán connected to the mainland during the Spanish conquest?
What did Hernán Cortés do on his estates near Cuernavaca in his later years?
What did Pedro de Alvarado do during the Aztec religious festival in Tenochtitlán?
What happened when Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans first fought each other?
What jobs did Hernán Cortés hold in Hispaniola?
What position did Hernán Cortés hold in Santiago de Cuba?
What was Hernán Cortés’s family background in Spain?
What was La Noche Triste?
What was New Spain, and how did it develop after Hernán Cortés’s victory?
What was the Battle of Otumba, and why was it important to Hernán Cortés?
When and where did Hernán Cortés die?
When and where was Hernán Cortés born?
When did Hernán Cortés capture Tenochtitlán?
When did Hernán Cortés enter Tenochtitlán?
Where did Hernán Cortés first land on the coast of Mexico in 1519?
Where did Hernán Cortés study as a young man?
Why did Diego Velázquez choose Hernán Cortés to lead an expedition to Mexico?
Why did Diego Velázquez withdraw support for Hernán Cortés’s expedition?
Why did Hernán Cortés found Veracruz?
Why did Hernán Cortés leave Tenochtitlán in 1520?
Why did Hernán Cortés retreat to Tlaxcala after La Noche Triste?
Why did Hernán Cortés sink his ships after arriving in Mexico?
Why did Hernán Cortés travel to Hispaniola in 1504?
Why did many Indigenous peoples resent Aztec rule?
Why did the Tlaxcalans become allies of Hernán Cortés?
Why was Hernán Cortés not restored as governor of New Spain?
Why were the ships built by Hernán Cortés useful during the siege of Tenochtitlán?
What significant stances on international affairs has Sánchez taken?
What were some notable policies announced by Sánchez’s government in 2026?
Who was St. John of the Cross?
What contributions did St. John of the Cross make to monasticism?
What is St. John of the Cross known for in literature?
What is the theme of “The Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross?
Who was King Ferdinand II?
What was King Ferdinand II like?
What is Miguel de Cervantes best known for?
What was Miguel de Cervantes’s early life like?

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External Websites

The Guardian - After 500 years, Cortï¿½s still looms large on both sides of Atlantic
Live Science - Hernï¿½n Cortï¿½s: Conqueror of the Aztecs
World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Hernan Cortes
DigitalCommons at UNO - When Montezuma Met Cortes: The True History of the Meetings that Changed History that Changed History (PDF)
Cambridge University Press and Assessment - The Mental World of Hernï¿½n Cortï¿½s (PDF)
History Today - The Death of Hernando Cortez

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Hernán Cortés - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Hernán Cortés - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Hernán Cortés

Spanish conquistador

Also known as: Fernando Cortés, Hernán Cortéz, Hernán Cortéz, marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, Hernando Cortés(Show More)

Written by

Ralph Hammond Innes

Novelist and writer on history and travel. Author of The Conquistadors.

Ralph Hammond Innes

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

Hernán Cortés (born 1485, Medellín, near Mérida, Extremadura, Castile [Spain]—died December 2, 1547, Castilleja de la Cuesta, near Sevilla) was a Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec empire (1519–21) and won Mexico for the crown of Spain. Cortés was the son of Martín Cortés de Monroy and of Doña Catalina Pizarro Altamarino—names of ancient lineage. “They had little wealth, but much honour,” according to Cortés’s secretary, Francisco López de Gómara, who tells how, at age...

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