1. Hernando Cortes By: Reid Conant

2. Hernando's Young Life Hernando Cortes grew up in Cuba. At age 14 he was kicked out of the private school he was attending because of his terrible temper. His parents were very displeased with him. He lived in Cuba until he was 27. Then he went out to explore.

3. Cortes' family Hernando was born in Medellin, Spain. Hernando's parents' names were Martin Cortes and Catalina Pizarro Altamira. His dad was an explorer when he was young too. Right before Hernando set sail for Tenochtitlan he proposed to his wife, Catalina Xuares. Together they had 4 children (3 daughters and 1 son).

4. Map of Hernando’s journey to Mexico in 1519 Cortes began in Cuba in search of gold. He did not follow anyone in particular but knew he would find what he was looking for on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico.

5. When Cortes set sail for Mexico in 1519 (Tenochtitlan) he was hearing these amazing stories about gold and other riches that fascinated him. When Hernando got to Tenochtitlan there were people there who thought he and his crew had come to hurt them. Therefore they didn’t want to trade anything. This made Cortes and his crew very angry so they started a war. Cortes and his Calvary trampled most of the Tenochtitlan people. Some got away. Conquering Mexico

6. Cortes’ Journey in Mexico After the initial war in Mexico he discovered the Aztec people, gold, and other riches. Cortes sacrificed his life to bring back gold and other riches to his homeland, Cuba. He and his crew did not stay in Mexico too long. Cortes longed for more power and conquests. Cortes went on to explore other regions until 1521 and then again from 1526-1539. Cortes died in December 1547 at the age of 62.

7. Interesting Facts about Cortes Cortes was a very good writer. He strangled his first wife but was never proven guilty. His parents hoped he would be a lawyer. Cortes was kind to the Indians and clergy. He was a very smart and fierce soldier and used lots of different warfare strategies.

8. Bibliography Hernan Cortes by Brandon January, copyright 2003, Heineman Library, Chicago, Illinois. http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/cortes.html http://coloquio.com/famosos/cortes.htm http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/aztecs_and_ cortes.html http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/aztecs_and_ cortes.html www.latinamericanstudies.org/cortes-1.htm