Nationality: Spanish (Crown of Castile)

Hernán Cortés (1485‑1547) was a Spanish conquistador whose expedition precipitated the fall of the Aztec Empire and the founding of New Spain, reshaping the early modern Atlantic world.

Hernando Cortés (1485‑1547) was the Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire. This biography examines his early life, the conquest of Mexico, his accumulation of wealth, and the complex legacy he left behind.