Belonging to an ancient family with little wealth but much honour,
at age fourteen he was sent to Salamanca to study. Many years later his
secretary, Francisco Lopez de Gomara, described him as: "He was very intelligent
and clever in everything he did; but also
ruthless, haughty, mischievous, and quarrelsome, a source of trouble
to his parents and much given to women."
Bored by provincial life and excited by stories of the Indies discovered
by Columbus, at age nineteen in 1504 he sailed for the island of Hispaniola
(now Santo Domingo). There he became a farmer and stayed six years. Ironically,
his catching syphilis in 1509 saved him
from joining the ill-fated expeditions of Diego de Nicuesa and Alonso
de Ojeda. Having recovered, in 1511 he accompanied Diego Velazquez in his
expedition to Cuba. After Cuba was conquered, Velazquez was appointed governor
and Cortes clerk to the treasurer. As well, he received a gift of land
with Indian slaves and the first house in the new capital of Santiago.
Inspired by the discoveries of others, in 1518 Velazquez fitted out
an expedition against Mexico with Cortes in command. In 1519 Cortes set
out but refused orders, sent by the jealous Velazquez, which would have
taken away his authority. In charge of 550 Spaniards, some 250 Indians,
twelve or fifteen horses, and ten brass guns, he landed first in the Yucatan
and fought his first battle at Tabasco. At San Juan de Ulua, messengers
from
Montezuma, king of Mexico, reached him, bringing presents. He founded
Vera Cruz, burnt his ships, marched to Tlaxcala where, after defeating
the warlike inhabitants, they became his faithful allies. He then marched
on the Aztec capital arriving on 8 November 1519.
There he captured Montezuma who was forced to submit to a public act
of vassalage to Spain as well as giving the value of 100,000 ducats. However,
overcoming their fear, the Mexicans rose and Cortes was forced to flee.
Velazquez then sent eighteen ships under the command of Narvaez to
pursue Cortes. Leaving Alvarado in command, Cortez hastened with a handful
of men to meet Narvaez, whose 800 men he easily defeated and induced to
join him. Then a messenger of Alvarado brought the news that Alvarado and
his men were besieged in Mexico. Cortes launched a
successful siege of the capital which fell, but Montezuma died during
the fighting.
Cortes burned the two great idols of Mexico but also realised he had
to leave the capital. They started out at midnight on 1 July 1520; but
in the difficult passage by pontoons over the gaps in the causeways, the
Spaniards were attacked by such furious and overwhelming multitudes that
the retreat became a confused and hopeless rout. That night Cortes lost
450 Spaniards, forty-six horses, his artillery, 4,000 Indian allies and
most of the Mexican prisoners. At Otumba, where they retreated, they were
once more attacked by
innumerable Mexicans, but a desperate battle ended in victory. His
Tlascalan allies received them kindly and Cortes proceeded to repair his
disaster. With his 550 foot-soldiers, forty horsemen and eight or nine
cannons, and supported by 10,000 Indian allies, Cortes began the formal
siege of Mexico. Assisted by famine and pestilence, the city had to be
destroyed before Cortes could take it. In 1522 he was formally appointed
Governor and Captain-General of New Spain. Cortes sent Alvarado to conquer
Guatamala, Sandoval to the north and Cristobal de Olid to Honduras. Olid
rebelled and Cortes set returned to New Spain he found that his powers
had been given to Ponce de Leon.
In May 1528 he returned to Spain and was received with honour by Emperor
Charles V who made him a marquis and, in July 1530, he returned as captain-general
to New Spain. Poor and broken in health, he returned to Spain in 1540,
accompanied Charles V in his unhappy
expedition against Algiers, and died neglected near Seville.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
