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Cortés expedition to Mexico
In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés defied Governor Velázquez of Cuba, landing on the Gulf coast with about six hundred soldiers and native al…
Timeline
- c. 1519Santiago de Cuba · CubaCortés ignored Governor Velázquez's order to revoke the expedition's authorization, setting sail from Cuba with eleven ships and about six hundred soldiers and sailors, plus a few cannon and horses, bound for the Mexican coast.
- c. 1519San Juan de Ulúa (near present-day Veracruz) · VeracruzThe expedition landed near present-day Veracruz, made contact with the local Totonacs, burned their ships to cut off retreat, and established the San Juan de Ulúa outpost, claiming direct authorization from the King of Spain.
- c. 1519Tlaxcala · TlaxcalaCortés led his forces inland, defeating Aztec reinforcements at the battle of Centla, then besieging and allying with the city-state of Tlaxcala, gaining large numbers of native allies to build strength for the assault on the Aztec capital.
Sources
- Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España — Bernardino de Sahagún et al.; Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1632)
- The Conquest of New Spain — Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1963)