Editing Spanish conquest of Yucatán (section)

==Hernán Cortés, 1519==
[[File:Hernán Cortés anónimo.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Hernán Cortés]] followed the [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán]] coast on his way to conquer the [[Aztecs]].|alt=Old painting of a bearded young man facing slightly to the right. He is wearing a dark jacket with a high collar topped by a white ruff, with ornate buttons down the front. The painting is dark and set in an oval with the letters "HERNAN CORTES" in a rectangle underneath]]
[[Juan de Grijalva|Juan de Grijalva's]] return aroused great interest in [[Cuba]], and [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán]] was believed to be a land of riches waiting to be plundered. A new expedition was organised, with a fleet of eleven ships carrying 500 men and some horses. [[Hernán Cortés]] was placed in command, and his crew included officers that would become famous conquistadors, including [[Pedro de Alvarado]], [[Cristóbal de Olid]], [[Gonzalo de Sandoval]] and [[Diego de Ordaz]]. Also aboard were [[Francisco de Montejo]] and [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]], veterans of the Grijalva expedition.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/>

The fleet made its first landfall at [[Cozumel]], and Cortés remained there for several days. [[Maya peoples|Maya]] temples were cast down and a Christian cross was put up on one of them.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/> At Cozumel, Cortés heard rumours of bearded men on the Yucatán mainland, who he presumed were Europeans.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, pp. 760–761.</ref> Cortés sent out messengers to them and was able to rescue the shipwrecked [[Gerónimo de Aguilar]], who had been enslaved by a Maya lord. Aguilar had learnt the [[Yucatec Maya language]] and became Cortés' interpreter.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, pp. 758–759, 760–761.</ref>

From Cozumel, the fleet looped around the north of the Yucatán Peninsula and followed the coast to the [[Tabasco River]], which Cortés renamed as the Grijalva River in honour of the Spanish captain who had discovered it.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p761"/> In Tabasco, Cortés anchored his ships at [[Potonchán]],<ref name="Townsend92,95p16">Townsend 1995, p. 16.</ref> a [[Chontal Maya]] town.<ref>Hernández et al. 2010, p. 26.</ref> The Maya prepared for [[Potonchán#Battle of Centla|battle]] but the Spanish horses and firearms quickly decided the outcome.<ref name="Townsend92,95p16"/> The defeated Chontal Maya lords offered gold, food, clothing and a group of young women in tribute to the victors.<ref name="Townsend92,95p16"/> Among these women was a young Maya noblewoman called [[La Malinche|Malintzin]],<ref name="Townsend92,95p16"/> who was given the Spanish name Marina. She spoke [[Mayan languages|Maya]] and [[Nahuatl]] and became the means by which Cortés was able to communicate with the [[Aztecs]].<ref name="SharerTraxler06p761">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 761.</ref> Marina became Cortés' consort and eventually bore him a son.<ref name="Townsend92,95p16"/> From [[Tabasco (former state)|Tabasco]], Cortés continued to [[Cempoala]] in [[Veracruz]], a subject city of the [[Aztec Empire]],<ref name="Townsend92,95p16"/> and from there on to conquer the Aztecs.<ref>Townsend 1995, pp. 16ff.</ref>

In 1519, Cortés sent the veteran [[Francisco de Montejo]] back to [[Spain]] with treasure for the king. While he was in Spain, Montejo pleaded Cortés' cause against the supporters of [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar|Diego de Velásquez]]. Montejo remained in Spain for seven years, and eventually succeeded in acquiring the hereditary military title of ''adelantado''.<ref name="Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 766">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 766.</ref>