HernandoCortes+AH

​ ​ //​Oh! Hi there! My name is Hernando Cortes and I would like to share my journal with you. But before I do that let me tell you about my early life. I was born in 1485 in a Spainsh city called Medellin. When I was a young boy I studyed law, but I soon gave that up so I could explore the New World and try to seek a fortune. Well now that you know about my early life I should share my journal with you. But I will warn you, my journal is really really long. To the right is a picture of where I was born.

I wrote in my journal from 1504 to 1507, and then I got very busy and didn't write in my journal until 1509. From 1509 to 1523 I wrote in my journal once or twice a year. While I share my journal I will talk about my memorys until my throat gets dry. At first I didn't know how much I was going to right in here so I wrote a lot in 1504, but when I really started exploring I wrote in my journal less.

Dear Journal, 1504

I can't believe it! I have been given permissionby the King and Queen of Medellin to sail to Santo Domingo and explore that area.I was told I was ro try to claim land and find gold. (I remember when the King and Queen gave me permission. It was so exciting!)

Dear Journal, 1504

We are about to take off. I've been given many men. Most of the men are cheerful and sound excitied. I can't wait!!! (WOW! I remember when we were getting on the ships, everybody was yelling and waving to us.)

Dear Journal, 1504

Santo Domingo is not that far from here, but it still will take us a while. We should have plenty of food and supplies during this trip. My crew and I estimate that it will take 3 - 5 months to get there. (My crew and I were right about this!) To the right is a map of Santo Domingo.

Dear Journal, 1504

We are about 2 months away from reaching Santo Domingo. Our food is still in good supply which is very good news, but the bad news is that one of my crew members is predicting a storm that will last for 3 - 4 weeks. (I remember when I was told about that storm. I was so worried because we had a month of good sailing and then a storm for the next 3 - 4 weeks?! How will my crew members react? Will the boats be damaged? I kept asking those questions over and over.)

Dear Journal, 1504

My crew member was right! A severe storm has turned the sky black. Will my ships hold up? How severe will the storm be? I don't know. It's thundering and lightning every 5 seconds. It is now actually started to rain. Please give us good weather soon!!! (The storm was driving me crazy!)

Dear Journal, 1504

The storm has pasted!!! Sunshine is now hoovering above us. My crew member said that we are only about 1 month away from reaching Santo Domingo. (I was so excitied that I had reached Santo Domingo.) . Dear Journal, 1505 We have landed on Santo Domingo!!! I shall stay here for a while and then try to head over Cuba. (WOW! I do not remember this at all) A picture of Santo Domingo is write below this journal entry. This is not what Santo Domingo looked like in the 1500s.

Dear Journal, 1506

We are starting to settle near where we landed on the island. We've taken a good look around this island and there is no sign of any people. (When we got to the island I thought there was going to be people here. It turns out I was wrong.)

Dear Journal, 1506

They have elected me to be governor of Santo Domingo. I willl stay here for about 5 more years before heading off to Cuba. (I was so excitied that I had been chosen to be governor of Cuba.)

Dear Journal, 1507

I have been very busy because I have been elected governor and that is why I have decided that I will not write in this journal for a while. I will start writing in my journal again in 2 years. (This was the busiest time of my life.)

Down below I have written about what Cortes did in 1508 and 1509.

Hernando Cortes was governor and was in charge of Santo Domingo. In 1508, many houses were built and almost everybody had a place to live. Cortes was a very busy man at this time. In his spare time (which is about 20 minutes a day) he would write to Spain or in his journal about what was going on.

Dear Journal, 1509

I have finally found time to be able to write in this journal. I will leave for Cuba in 1511 which is about 574 days.

Dear Journal, 1510

I have decided to take part in a spanish conquest of Cuba. The conquest will start in 1511.

Dear Journal, 1511

We have landed on Cuba and we are exploring what it seems to be the southern part of this large contury. The weather is very tropical here and it will take us a very long time to get to the Cuba's capital.

Dear Journal, 1511

I am very busy once again. I will try to write in my journal as much as possible though. I am not as busy but I still have very little time to write in my journal.

Dear Journal, 1512

My crew members and I have had been lead into an expidition to Mexico. We will start sailing during the year 1513.

Dear Journal, 1512

I am very excitied to start sailing toward Mexico.

Dear Journal, 1513

We have been sailing for a month. Though we will be on this ship for 6 years.

Dear Journal, 1513

We are very bored on this ship. We have plenty of food though. Above this journal entry is a picture of my route from Cuba to Mexico.

Dear Journal, 1514

I do not know why I am not writing in my journal very often. Probably because I usually have to direct the ship. We have not found any sign of gold or people, but maybe we will find people here in Mexico.

Dear Journal, 1514

We are around 4 years away from Mexico. A storm has just passed and giving us sunshine once more.

Cortes and his crew members were very bored. Most of the crew members were just sitting around doing nothing. They eventually made history, in 1521 they were able to take over the Aztecs and their land.

Dear Journal, 1516

Most of my crew members are starting to doubt me. They say we will never ever be able to make it to Mexico. I'm not giving up though. I was sent on this mission to either claim land or find gold, silver, and spices.

Dear Journal, 1517

We are 436 days away from Mexico. Only 3 of my crew members have died on this ship. Some other explorers have more than 75% of their crew members dead.

Dear Journal, 1518

We are almost to Mexico!!! 1 month away.

Dear Journal, 1519

We've landed on Mexico! There has been no sign of gold, but we have seen people.

Dear Journal, 1519

I guess I have been believed to be a god. The people that call me the god are the Aztecs. They seem very fierce, but they have given me some gold. I should believe that there is a lot more gold some where else. I think it is kindoff funny that they are calling me a god.

Dear Journal, 1520

I have decided I'm going to find the capital of this beautiful land and try to take it over. If I do I will probably try to find tons of gold. That's what I was sent on this mission for.

Dear Journal, 1520

I have almost made it to the city with about 600 men and a few horses. I have brought guns and I will try to defeat the Aztecs so I can take over there land.

Dear Journal, 1520

The Aztecs have driven me out!!! I will try again. I am sure if it. They beat me! I can't believe it! I will write a letter to Spain asking for more guns and weapons.

Dear Journal, 1521

I am almost ready to attack the Aztecs again. And when I do they will never forget it.

Dear Journal, 1521

I have done it!!! I have defeated the Aztecs. They stood no chance. They were still weak from the first fight. We have started to take all their houses down.

Dear Journal, 1522

JACKPOT!!! I have found like a ton of gold.

Dear Journal, 1523

I have tore down all the Aztecs building and replaced them with other buildings. I will call this land New Spain. (That was the last time he wrote in his journal)

Yes! cortes did take over a new land and he found tons of gold, but then he got a little of of control. Cortes led a group of down to the Honduras in 1524 and stayed there for around 2-4 years. Once he did that, the Spanish Government was worried that he was getting a little out of control. So when he came back to Spain, he had less power than ever before. He made a few more voyages, discovered the southern part of California, but did not discover any more gold. He came back to Spain in 1539 and he spent most of his time in Spain until he died in 1545.

There was a lot of knowledge gained on this trip. Cortes made it clear that there was another continent, by discovering the southern part of California. He made his travels far out by Mexico and the Bahamas, so he proved that there is land there instead of falling off he end of the world.

Cortes encountered the Aztecs, gold and silver. The only people he saw was the Aztecs. He got tons of gold and silver during the expedition to Mexico, but he didn't find any other gold.

We remember Cortes because he was brave to defeat the Aztecs and he was very eager to explore. We also remember him because he was one of the explorers that succeeded in claiming new land and gold. Not a lot of expolrers can say that they brought back a lot of gold and silver and claimed a large chunk of land for their country.

Thanks for having me share my journal with you.

Timeline 1504 Santo Domingo 1511 Cuba (at that time it was called Santio De Cuba) 1519 Mexico 1524 Houndras 1536 Southeastern U.S.A

By: Alexander Harbin #14 Explorer: Hernando Cortes //

point of view from opposite side - alexander