Cortes

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador in the early 16th century who is best known for leading the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico. Arriving in 1519, he formed alliances with local tribes and leveraged advanced military technology to defeat the Aztecs, whose capital was Tenochtitlán. Cortés's actions marked the beginning of Spanish colonization in the Americas, dramatically impacting indigenous societies. His legacy is complex, involving both exploration and conquest, and he played a key role in the wider European expansion into the New World.