In 1485 Spain was finally able to relax after the recapture of their country from the Muslim Moors who had ruled for the last eight hundred years. With this victory Spain could now begin to once again re-establish its Christian monarchy. In this same year in the town of Medellin, Spain was born Hernando Cortes also (Fernando Cortes or even Hernan Cortes). Cortes was greatly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church as well as his strong sense of nationalism and would grow up to become a conquistador, some would argue perhaps the greatest conquistador who ever lived. So it came to be that Hernando Cortes would journey far beyond the shores of Spain in search of lands and treasures to claim in the name of Spain and his God and to earn his place in history as well as his fortune.

At this time Spain was not a unified country though the people were proud not only of their Spanish heritage but also of the region from which they came. In an attempt to unify the various factions within Spain, who were often at war with one another, Ferdinand of Argon who was king took Isabella of Castille as his wife and queen who together were dubbed "the Catholic Kings" by the Pope. The Spaniards were al

Many more meetings would take place between Cortes and Montezuma over the course of the next couple of weeks. And after each meeting Montezuma would present the Spaniards with great gifts. The Spaniards were given tours of the city and shown the temples of the Aztecs as well as the gardens, the market and even the zoo. Cortes then received word from a messenger that Aztec warriors at the order of Montezuma had killed men at Villa Cruz. Cortes and his men soon became distrustful of the Aztecs and worried that an attack such as that planned for them in the Cholollan town might once again be planned for them here. Cortes then asked for a royal audience with Montezuma, which was granted. At this meeting Cortes confroted Montezuma with the report but Montezuma denied having any part in the attack. Not believing Montezuma, Cortes and his men took the mighty Aztec Monarch. Cortes and his men then escorted Montezuma to the palace that they were living in. Montezuma had severely underestimated Cortes and his men, for now the people whom Montezuma believed he held as hostages in his city now held him captive. (Diaz 231-247)

Panfilo de Narvaez who had led the conquest of Cuba with Cortes at his side captained this new fleet. Narvaez knew of Cortes' settlement at Villa Cruz and sent out three men who were to announce their authority and seize the settlement. These men were quickly captured and sent to Cortes in Mexico City. While there Cortes showed these men that he was Christianizing the natives and the treasure they had collected. Cortes was quick to win these men over to his side and sent them back with treasure to spread among those who were not loyal to Narvaez and Velazquez. Soon Narvaez and Cortes were vying for the loyalty of not only the Spanish troops but that of the Indians as well. In this matter Cortes would win while he never took anything from the Indians they did not offer as gifts Narvaez was quite the opposite. He would not only take the Indians gold but their women as well. (Marks 153-158)

After the settling of Cuba was well in progress, there arrived one day a lady by the name of Suarez who was accompanied by her four young daughters and a son. The lady presented herself to Governor Velazquez who in turn gave them a small parcel of land and some Indians that that could share with the man who would guide them and help them establish themselves in this New World. This man of course was Hernan Cortes. (Marks 21)

Soon supply ships began to arrive at Villa Cruz, no doubt by Velazquez who had figured Narvaez had been successful in arresting Cortes and asserting his authority. With the arrival of each ship Cortes and his men were able to enlist the crew after giving them a bit of gold. One day a large merchant from Spain arrived with powder and arms and cannons to sell. Cortes and his men quickly paid the man in gold and off loaded his cargo. Soon much need supplies were making their way up line and Cortes and his army were once again gaining strength. (Marks 196-197)

Verano, John W., Douglas H. Ubelaker. " Health and Disease in the Pre-Columbian World." The Seeds of Change: Essays. Edited: Herman J. Viola, Carolyn Margolis. United States: Smithsonian, 1991

Cortes soon became romantically involved with not one but two of the Suarez sisters, one of whom was Catalina. This did not bode well with the Governor who implored Cortes to marry Catalina. Catalina then field papers with the court to sue Cortes for failing to fulfill his promise to marry her. After hearing the testimony of others who spoke up affirming her position that Cortes had asked for her hand in marriage the Governor sided with Catalina. Refusing to proceed with a marriage the Governor had Cortes arrested and imprisoned. While in prison Cortes vowed he would get even with Velazquez. Cortes managed to escape prison not once but twice. After the second escape Cortes tracked down Velazquez and confronted him but, rather than coming to blows the two men on

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mexico City, Francisco Hernandez, Aztec Empire, Tlscalans Cortes, Montezuma Cortes, Tizoc Ahuitzotl, Tlascala Cortes, Villa Cruz, Velazquez Cortes, Cortes Tendile, mexico city, told cortes, city cortes, thou hast, cortes able, montezuma cortes, aztec nation, cortes learned, villa rica, cortes troops, juan de ulua, san juan de, essays edited herman, seeds change essays, carolyn margolis united,
Approximate Word count = 8638
Approximate Pages = 35 (250 words per page double spaced)