Hernán Cortés' Return to Cuba: Little to Show, Onward to Conquest

Cuba Was a Stopover, Not the Destination

Cortés arrived in Cuba (1511) as a young notary. By 1518, he was appointed captain of an expedition to the mainland. He brought little back to Cuba because his sights were set on Mexico.

Timeline

• 1519: Lands at Cozumel, then Veracruz; founds Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz.
• 1519–1521: Conquers Aztec Empire (Tenochtitlan falls Aug 1521).
• 1522: Appointed Governor & Captain General of New Spain by Charles V.
• 1524–26: Honduras expedition.
• 1528: Returns to Spain; granted Marquisate of the Valley of Oaxaca.

Cuba served as his launchpad; the wealth (gold, tribute, encomiendas) flowed to Spain and his Mexican estates, not back to Santiago de Cuba.