Carleton Jackson, age 14, of Erie, Penn., for his question:
WHO WAS HERNANDO CORTEZ?
Hernando Cortes was a Spanish adventurer who conquered what is now central and southern Mexico. His military triumphs led to 300 years of Spanish domination of Mexico and Central America.
Cortes, spelled Cortez sometimes, sailed to what is now the Dominican Republic in the West Indies in 1504. Born in Spain, he gave up his study of the law to become an adventurer. Then, in 1511, Cortes took part in the Spanish conquest of Cuba that was led by adventurer named Diego Velazquez.
Velazquez became governor of Cuba. He later learned of a rich Indian empire in Mexico and he asked Cortes to lead an expedition there to look for gold, claim land and develop trade with the Indians.
After Cortes started to organize the expedition, Velazquez became suspicious of Cortes' ambition and removed him from command. But Cortes ignored the order and set sail for Mexico with about 600 Spaniards in February 1519.
Landing with 11 ships near what is now Veracruz on the east coast of Mexico, the Spaniards began to march inland to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, located where Mexico City is today.
Along the way, Cortes persuaded thousands of Indians to join his forces. Many Indians joined willingly because they hated the powerful Aztecs.
Cortes and his forces marched into Tenochtitlan in 1519. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma, greeted him with gifts. Many believed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs' most honored god. But Cortes soon imprisoned Montezuma and ruled the Aztec empire though him.
The Spaniards seized huge amounts of gold, destroyed a number of Aztec temples and started to convert Indians to Christianity. There was an Aztec rebellion in 1520, but in 1521, Cortes' army returned. Tenochtitlan was destroyed and within a few months, Cortes controlled all of central Mexico.
During the next few years, Cortes gained control of much of present day Mexico. He also explored Central America as far south as Honduras.
In 1528 Cortes sailed for Spain. King Charles I gave him the title of marquis and the service of 23,000 Indian slaves in Mexico. Cortes returned to Mexico in 1530 and engaged in exploring, farming and mining. He became the wealthiest person in all Spanish America.
In 1540, Cortes returned to Spain and then took part in an unsuccessful Spanish attack on Algiers the next year. He then lived in Spain until he died in 1547.
Before returning to Spain, Cortes traveled to Lower California in 1535. Cortes was born in 1485 in the Spanish town of Medellin, near Don Benito. He was 62 years old when he died.