Hernan Cortes Research Paper

Hernan Cortés is a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition to conquer the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century. He is often debated and some people say that Cortes should be charged for his crimes against humanity because of his role in the conquest. It is important to see it from his point of view so you can consider the context of his actions within the norms and values of his time. In the 16th century, the concept of human rights and international law did not really exist. Instead, the ongoing worldview was focused on colonialism and expansion. Where conquest and colonization were seen as legitimate means of territorial cruelty. Cortés and his companions operated driven by the religious, political, and economic motivations of their …show more content…
When he first landed in Mexico in 1519, he found a part of the Mayan civilization. He fought with them, defeated them, and even captured an interpreter. He formed alliances with people who were hostile to the Aztecs, for example the Tlaxclans. They gave him fighters and knowledge of the area. When he arrived at the empire he gained the emperor’s trust (Montezuma II) then took him hostage, this is how he controlled the Aztec leadership and government. The Spanish’s presence in the city became oppressive and that made the natives agitated. Later there was a rebellion and the Spanish/ Tlaxclan people fought a long hard battle with the Aztecs. One of the reasons the Aztec people lost the battle was because of the Smallpox epidemic that wiped most of them out. A disease of European (Spanish) origin. After the battle Cortes began colonizing and Tenochtilan became Mexico City. He brought the Spanish government and religion (Christianity) along with religious buildings to the city. These actions set the beginning of the Spanish colonization of Central …show more content…
He was known for being a ruthless leader who was an opportunist and very contradictory. He made partnerships with Aztec enemies to destroy them. He went on rampages, blowing up buildings and wreaking havoc. He is the cause of an entire civilization and culture to be lost and just casually created a new civilization on top, Mexico City. However, he was the reason for a lot of the knowledge we have today about the ‘New World’ and why we now have Central America. Hernan Cortes has gone down in history as many times. The part I think should be the most recognised is how he introduced us to so much of what was formerly known as the New World. Hernan was an educated man who discovered parts of the Americas with around 400 other Spaniards. He first made landfall in April 1519 and was seen as nothing but a heroic intellect. However, the natives were not as strong and were more cowardly/naive. The natives were basically “natural slaves” as Juan Gines said. Cortes also captured the leader of a tribe to gain power and control. That same chief tried to attack Cortes and his crew to defeat them but failed to gain the strength that is

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