later, Cortes would lead the expedition responsible for the fall of the Aztec Empire and the acquisition of large portions of the mainland for the King of Castille.[9] While in Mexico, Cortes' fame grew as the conqueror of Mexico. As one historian notes, "There are relatively few sources to the early life of Cortes; his fame arose from his participation in the conquest of Mexico and it was only after this that people became interested in reading and writing about him."[10] While many viewed Cortes as a brutal but brilliant military strategist, others viewed him as an ambitious tyrant who exploited the natives in a continual effort to solidify his own position, power, and wealth.
One of the best sources of insight into Cortes' persona is his Letters from Mexico. However, because they were written by him, these letters often tend to idealize Cortes and his motives. Another trend that idealized images of Cortes was the trend of lionizing the conquistadors by historians and writers of the period. Many natives viewed Cortes as an atrocious barbarian, while others worked with him and believed he was great. For these and other reasons, it is difficult to create a simple picture of this complex conqueror. As one historian notes, "It is extremely difficult to characterize this particular conquistador - his atrocities, his tactical and strategic awareness, the rewards for his Tlaxcalteca allies along with the rehabilitation of the nobility, his respect for Indians as worthy adversaries and family members."[11] This analysis will provide a discussion of Hernan Cortes experiences in Mexico, providing both biographical detail and examples of his various personas as conquistador and administrator. It will show that views of the Conquistador during his lifetime paint him as an ambitious oppressor in search of gold and other riches, but Cortes viewed himself as a servant of Spain in search of new lands, personal honor, and the spr...