Summary of Minibiografía: Hernán Cortés

00:00:00 - 00:05:00

This video provides a mini-biography of Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador who famously conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. Born in Extremadura, Spain, Cortés studied law and Latin before being drawn to the New World, where he became involved in the conquest of Cuba and then led the expedition to Mexico. Cortés gained allies such as a skilled translator named Marina, and through a series of alliances and battles, he succeeded in his conquest of Mexico after 80 days of siege that caused the inhabitants to experience a terrible epidemic of virulence, famine, and starvation. Cortés was named Governor and Captain General of New Spain and later accused of his wife's murder, causing him to return to Spain and defend himself before King Charles V. Though he was absolved of the charges, his title was changed to Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca, and he was forbidden from ruling again.

• 00:00:00 In this section, we learn about the life and conquests of Hernán Cortés Monroy Pizarro Altamirano, who was born in the violent region of Extremadura, Spain in 1482. As a young man, Cortés attended university in Salamanca to study law and Latin, but was ultimately drawn to the New World in 1504. He became involved in the conquest of Cuba and later led the famous expedition to Mexico. While there, he encountered the Maya people and reunited with two Spanish men who had been taken as slaves. He also gained a key ally in a native woman named Marina, who was not only a skilled translator but also served as an advisor and negotiator for the conquistadors. Cortés realized that the only way to conquer the region was to march inland and capture the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. Through a series of alliances and battles, including the famous confrontation with Montezuma, Cortés ultimately succeeded in his conquest and became one of the most famous figures in history.
• 00:05:00 In this section, we learn about Hernan Cortes' return to Mexico, where he attacked the military hierarchy during the festival of Katyn, causing the Mexicans to retaliate and force the Spanish to retreat to the Moctezuma Palace. Eventually, Cortes takes Tenochtitlan, leading to the surrender of the locals after 80 days of siege that caused the inhabitants to experience a terrible epidemic of virulence, famine, and starvation. After the conquest of Mexico, the Spanish expanded their territories, and Hernandez Cortes was named the Governor and Captain General of New Spain. The summary also mentions that Hernan ended up being accused of his wife's murder, which caused him to return to Spain to defend himself before King Charles V. Though Cortes was later absolved of the charges, he was forbidden from ruling again, and his title was changed to Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca.