Conquistador · 1485 – 1547
Hernán Cortés
Little-Known Facts
- Cortés reportedly scuttled or beached his own ships early in the campaign to prevent his men from retreating.
- Much of his army's strength came from tens of thousands of indigenous allies opposed to Aztec domination.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Cortés conquer the Aztecs with a handful of Spaniards alone?
No. While his Spanish force was small, his victory depended on huge numbers of indigenous allies and the devastating spread of European disease.