1. Cortez

2. Early Life
Hernando Cortez was born in Medellin a small town in southwestern Spain in 1485.
When he was 18 he sailed for the island of Hispaniola, the Spanish headquarters in the West Indies.
Cortez was a soldier and a farmer before he sailed with Diego Velasquez to help conquer Cuba in 1511.
Velasquez became the governor and Cortez was elected mayor- judge of Santiago.

3. Conquering the Aztecs
After Juan Grijalva discovered Mexico in 1518, Velasquez chose Cortez to build a colony there. Soon after, Velasquez assumed Cortez would go beyond his orders and canceled the expedition, but luckily for Cortez he had already assembled men and equipment, so he set sail. He went around the Yucatan Peninsula and landed on the coast of what is now Tabasco.

4. Conquering the Aztecs
While battling with Indians there, he took many captives including a young Aztec princess. She became his interpreter and advisor. Cortez landed near the site of Veracruz on April 21, To prevent thoughts of retreat by his men he burned his ships. He led his men further into Mexico, where a tribe of natives attacked his group. The natives outnumbered the Spaniards 300 to 1.

5. Conquering the Aztecs
On November 8, 1519, Cortez reached Tenochtitlan(Mexico City) and was taken in by Montezuma, the Aztec emperor. After establishing headquarters in the capital, Cortez found out that Montezuma had plundered Veracruz. He immediately went to Montezuma and forced him to surrender his attackers, and then had them executed.

6. Conquering the Aztecs
While Cortez was in Tenochtitlan, Velasquez had sent 1,400 soldiers to arrest Cortez and bring him back to Cuba. Cortez defeated the army and most of the survivors joined Cortez. As Cortez and his men reached the heart of the city, they were attacked by thousands of Aztec warriors. Montezuma was brought out to calm his people, but they stoned him, and he later died of his wounds. Cortez’ army was surrounded and basically doomed, but he and three other men managed to get to the chief of the Aztec army and kill him. Confused by this “miracle” the Aztec army retreated.

7. Conquering the Aztecs
With fewer than 500 men left alive, Cortez made his way back to his Indian allies in July of Cortez attacked Tenochtitlan again by ship the following May. On August 13, 1521, Guatemoc, the new Aztec emperor, surrendered. This was the end of the Aztec empire.

8. Later Life
Cortez spent the next seven years creating peace among the Indians in Mexico and developing mines and farmlands.
In 1528 he went home and was honored by Charles V, but he missed the exploration of the new world.
He returned to Mexico and served as a military commander. He explored lower California from 1534 to 1535 and fought the pirates of Algiers in The same year he led an expedition against the Maya of Yucatan.
Hernando Cortez died near Seville on December 2, 1547

9. Credits Research – Jake Ruppert Presentation – Jake Ruppert
Pictures and Music Selection - Jake Ruppert
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10. Sutherland’s second period rules!!!!!!!!!!