---
node: na_cortes
type: person
slug: hernan_cortes
title: "Hernán Cortés"
lead: "Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) was the Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec empire. His conquest made Spain the dominant power in Mesoamerica."
published: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
image_file: hernan_cortes.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hern%C3%A1n_Cort%C3%A9s_Retrato_Portrait_17th_century.png"
image_author: "Unknown"
image_license: "Public domain"
---

## Who they were

A minor Spanish nobleman turned colonist in the Caribbean, Cortés led an unauthorized expedition to the Mexican mainland in 1519. He combined force, diplomacy, and Indigenous alliances against the Aztec state.

## What they did

Cortés marched inland, seized Moctezuma II, and, after being driven out, returned to besiege and destroy Tenochtitlan in 1521. He then governed the conquered land and sponsored further expeditions.

## Legacy

He founded New Spain on the ruins of the Aztec empire and served as its first governor. He is remembered as a bold and ruthless commander whose conquest devastated Indigenous societies.