The Despatches of Hernando Cortes

Hernando Cortes led the famous expedition to Mexico in 1519 where he and his men encountered the powerful Aztec civilization ruled by Emperor Montezuma II. Through a combination of military tactics alliances with indigenous groups and exploitation of internal divisions within the Aztec Empire Cortes managed to defeat the Aztecs and capture their capital city Tenochtitlan in 1521. Throughout his campaigns Cortes wrote a series of letters and reports detailing the events of the conquest describing his interactions with the indigenous people and providing information about the Aztec culture wealth and geography of the region. These documents served multiple purposes: to inform the Spanish Crown of his achievements to request reinforcements and support and to justify his actions and legitimacy as the leader of the expedition. The Despatches of Hernando Cortes are essential historical sources that provide valuable insights into the early interactions between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. They offer firsthand accounts of the conquest and its impact on the Aztec Empire shedding light on the cultural clashes conquest strategies and the dynamics of the encounters between the Spanish conquistadors and the native populations.