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Letters of Cortés to Emperor Charles V, Volume I
These five letters from Hernán Cortés to Emperor Charles V of Spain between the year 1519 and 1526 chronicle the expansion of the Spanish Empire into Mexico.
In his detailed and fascinating letters, Cortés gives an account of the discovery of the mainland, the conquerors trek into hostile country and their clashes with the Aztec people led by Montezuma II.
Translated by Francis Augustus MacNutt, this edition contains many enlightening footnotes and an introduction which gives a wider context to the letters and provides a historiography of the contemporary accounts of Cortés and his conquistadors.
In his detailed and fascinating letters, Cortés gives an account of the discovery of the mainland, the conquerors trek into hostile country and their clashes with the Aztec people led by Montezuma II.
Translated by Francis Augustus MacNutt, this edition contains many enlightening footnotes and an introduction which gives a wider context to the letters and provides a historiography of the contemporary accounts of Cortés and his conquistadors.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1908
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About the author
Hernán Cortés
114 books8 followersHernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (1485–1547) was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. Cortés was part of the generation of Spanish explorers and conquistadors who began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
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September 9, 2021
This collection of relations was an exciting, sad, passionate, violent and soul-searching adventure of a read. I highly recommend this 2 volume set to anyone that loves history, or just loves tales of adventure.
This year I have read already the Narrative of Some Things of New Spain by The Anonymous Conquistador, What the Aztecs Told Me by Sahagun, and Witness, a selection of writings from Bartolomé de las Casas. I had already read The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo and a letter to Carlos V from Bishop Zumarraga just to mention the primary sources I have thus studied. The rest of Sahagun’s writings have arrived at my house, as well as the Writings of Alvarado.
I am getting a clear history of the Conquest of Mexico, and Hernán Cortés is truly a great hero. His integrity and dedication to God and his fellows cannot legitimately be questioned, nor can the great good accomplished by him. He made mistakes and was no saint, but a hero, not a villain, he was.
This year I have read already the Narrative of Some Things of New Spain by The Anonymous Conquistador, What the Aztecs Told Me by Sahagun, and Witness, a selection of writings from Bartolomé de las Casas. I had already read The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo and a letter to Carlos V from Bishop Zumarraga just to mention the primary sources I have thus studied. The rest of Sahagun’s writings have arrived at my house, as well as the Writings of Alvarado.
I am getting a clear history of the Conquest of Mexico, and Hernán Cortés is truly a great hero. His integrity and dedication to God and his fellows cannot legitimately be questioned, nor can the great good accomplished by him. He made mistakes and was no saint, but a hero, not a villain, he was.
Displaying 1 of 1 review