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Letters from Mexico

letters by Cortés
Also known as: “Cartas de relación”

Quick Summary

The Cartas de relación (Letters from Mexico) are a series of five letters written by Hernán Cortés to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, between 1519 and 1526. These letters detail Cortés's conquest of the Aztec empire in Mexico. Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, embarked on an unauthorized expedition in 1519, seeking riches and glory. His letters describe the military campaigns, his interactions with Indigenous peoples, and the political landscape he encountered. They are considered a foundational text in the chronicles of the New World's discovery and conquest.1234

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