Why hernando cortez was famous

This journey was largely successful. Velazquez de Cuellar was appointed governor of present day Cuba, and Cortes was appointed as a clerk to the treasurer at age twenty six. During his time in Cuba, Cortes became more powerful among the people. He led a revolt that demanded that more Indians should be assigned to the settlers in Cuba.

In , Cortes was appointed as Captain General of an expedition in which Cortes acquired more money and power. In , Cortes was put in charge of exploring the interior of Mexico for colonization by the Spanish. At the last moment, Cortes was told that he no longer had the charter to sail to Mexico.

However, Cortes ignored these orders and sailed anyway. He sailed with eleven ships, five hundred men, thirteen horses, and a multitude of cannons. He landed in Mayan territory, specifically in the Yucatan Peninsula. Search term:. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled.

While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. He claimed that she died from a heart related complication; although many people did not believe this version. Hernando is also said to have been physically abusive to Catalina during their marriage. In Hernando Cortes was named the governor and general captain of New Spain.

He was feared by the people he served and was seen as being too powerful. The King of Spain asked that he returns to Spain. He retained his position as the general captain. This position was less powerful and with it came a lot of restrictions because his movements were monitored. He later continued his explorations in Central America. He failed to conquer any land; instead he discovered and named California.

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador known for his expedition that led to the defeat of the Inca Empire and the Spanish conquest of Peru. Just like Pizarro, Hernando also made his name as a conquistador. Hernando was also related to the governor of Cuba Velasquez, he married his sister-in-law Catalina while he was in Cuba. After conquering and destroying Tenochtitlan, Hernando began build a European style city on the ruins. He introduced a system called encomienda. He left 80 Spanish soldiers and a few hundred Tlaxcaltecs under the command of Pedro de Alvarado to hold Tenochtitlan until he returned.

The enraged Aztec forces eventually drove his forces from the city. During the Spanish retreat , Montezuma was killed and much of the plunder the Spanish had taken was lost. His forces defeated the Aztecs in Battle of Otumba on July 7, , and he regained control of Tenochtitlan by August 13, The Aztec Empire had fallen. He sent more expeditions out into new areas, including what is present-day Honduras.

He died in Spain in But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The story of North American exploration spans an entire millennium and involves a wide array of European powers and uniquely American characters. In , while leading an expedition in search of gold, he sighted