Hernan Cortes
2. Explain how Hernan Cortes was, simultaneously, both a builder of Spain's empire and a rebel.Hernan Cortes was both a rebel and a builder of Spain's empire at the same time. Cortes disregarded Velasquez but yet set up many new Spanish empires - the main ones being Vera Cruz and Techtitlan . Evidence will be provided from Empire and Rebellion and KBM sheets.Firstly, Cortes was heading towards a soldiering career and by 1502 the way was open for him and other brave men to build a new Spanish empire overseas. However in 1502 he missed one chance to join. A close family friend, Nicholas de Ovando, was appointed governor of the island of Hispaniola, the centre of all Spanish activity in the New World. Ovando offered Cortes a place on his staff but unfortunately he was sick at the time. He thought of joining the Spanish army serving in Italy, but in 1504 he decided to sail to Hispaniola. In 1511,Ovando appointed a settler called Diego Velasquez to lead an expedition to conquer Cuba. Velasquez looked around for men to help him and he chose Cortes as one of his officers. Cuba was conquered easily and Cortes took his share of the land and profits. Velasquez wanted to conquer more empires but he
Thus the Aztecs were completely cut off. The councellers of Vera Cruz then appointed Cortes the general of the army and the governor of "New Spain" the land of Mexico. Velasquez sent word to have him arrested but the men of Havana took no notice. However Cortes took Montezuma prisoner and eventually Montezuma gave in and from then on he conducted the government of his country under Spanish guard. This is where Cortes first becomes a rebel. As soon as Cortes was appointed leader of the third expedition he changed his whole way of life. Cortes was both a rebel and the builder of the Spanish empire simutanesouly. Cortes now decided to plunge an inknown distance into an unknown country where hundreds of thousands of warriors dwelt. He could only take 400 men and there would be no chance of outside help if he was trapped by the Aztecs. However he was also a rebel for disregarding Velasquez's orders and for fighting Naravez. He had 700 infantry, 118 men with crossbow or musket, 86 cavalry, 15 cannons and 20000 Tlaxcalans. Velasquez heard about what Cortes had been doing and he started to collect and army to pursue Cortes to Mexico. Cortes decided to tackle Naravez himself. Velasquez didn't know that for months Cortes was bribing Velasquez's secretary to make him leader of the third expedition. He knocked down temples and houses along the way so that there was no place for the Aztecs to hide.
Common topics in this essay:
Cuba Velasquez,
Cortes Montezuma,
Firstly Cortes,
Cortes Aztecs,
Hernan Cortes,
Aztecs Tenochtitlan,
World Ovando,
Mexico Velasquez,
Cortes Rebel,
Charles Cortes,
spanish empire,
cortes rebel,
empire cortes,
vera cruz,
spain's empire,
hernan cortes,
cortes decided,
build spanish empire,
build spanish,
attack aztecs,
third expedition,
builder spain's empire,
cortes rebel builder,
spanish empire cortes,
spain's empire cortes,
|
Acceptance Essays
