“I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold.”-Hernan Cortes

Hernan Cortes was the Spanish conquistador that destroyed the empire of the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for the Spanish crown. He became governor of the territory at the behest of King Charles I. His greatest impact in history is that he established a firm Spanish presence in the New World after conquering the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.

The impact that he had on the native populations was very negative. He introduced smallpox to Mexico with devastating consequences. When Cortes arrived in Mexico, around 30 million Aztecs lived there. In a short fifty years, only 3 million people lived in the region that the Aztecs occupied. Disease and warfare had destroyed a very strong Mesoamerican civilization.

Cortes also introduced the African slave trade to Mexico. Over 200,000 slaves were brought to Mexico before it was abolished in 1829.

What impact did Hernán Cortés have in Europe?

Hernán Cortés' biggest impact was obviously in the Americas, where he effectively wiped out the ancient Aztec Empire. In the process of conquering the Aztecs, Cortés slaughtered, enslaved, and subjected them. What's more, he brought European diseases with him that killed many indigenous people, as they had no natural immunity to them.

In addition, Cortés stole vast quantities of gold and silver from the Aztecs, which brought him and the Spanish Crown vast riches. It was this particular aspect of Spanish exploration of the Americas that caught the attention of Europeans.

For generations, many Europeans had believed in the myth of El Dorado, the city of gold. Now that Cortés was bringing home vast quantities of gold from Mexico, it seemed that El Dorado was no longer a myth but a reality.

Europeans had watched with keen interest as Cortés established a Spanish Empire in Mexico with relatively few men—the conquistadors were vastly outnumbered by the Aztecs—and brought untold riches to his native land. Inspired by his example, they thought they could do the same.

In his various endeavors, Cortés provided added impetus to the Age of Exploration, encouraging Europeans to set out into the world in search of conquest and the enormous wealth it could potentially bring.