Hernán Cortés: Spanish Conquistador Who Toppled the Aztec Empire

Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) represented the Spanish Crown (Castile). In 1519, he led an expedition from Cuba to the Mexican mainland, forged alliances with Indigenous enemies of the Aztecs, and by 1521 captured Tenochtitlan, ending the Aztec Empire. He claimed vast territories for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, becoming Governor of New Spain. His letters (Cartas de Relación) are primary sources on the conquest.