Hernán Cortés

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hernn-corts

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Hernán Cortés born?December 1485
2. Where was Hernán Cortés born?Medellín, Spain
3. What is the title granted?1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca
4. What is the career?Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator
5. Who was Hernán Cortés?Hernán Cortés was a Spanish explorer born in 1485 in Medellín, Spain. He came from a family of lesser nobility and sought wealth and fame in the New World.
6. Why did Hernán Cortés travel to the Americas?He wanted to find new opportunities, gain wealth, and become famous. He believed the New World offered chances that were not available in Spain.

Conquistador: Spanish soldiers and explorers who conquered and colonized territories in the Americas during the 16th century.
Encomienda System: A Spanish labor system that granted settlers the right to demand tribute and forced labor from indigenous people.
Mesoamerica: A historical region and cultural area in the Americas, extending from central Mexico to northern Central America.
Viceroy: A ruler exercising authority in a colony on behalf of a sovereign.