Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (Yucatán conquistador) facts for kids
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (born around 1467 in Córdoba, Spain – died 1517 in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba) was a Spanish conquistador, which means he was a leader in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He is mostly known for a difficult expedition he led in 1517. During this trip, Europeans first explored the Yucatán Peninsula in what is now Mexico.
Contents
The 1517 Expedition to Yucatán
In 1517, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and about 110 other Spanish settlers in Cuba were looking for new adventures and resources. They asked the governor, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, for permission to explore new lands. The governor agreed, and Hernández de Córdoba set off with three ships on February 8, 1517. Their goal was to explore the southern coasts of Mexico. The main pilot was Antón de Alaminos, a very experienced sailor who had even sailed with Christopher Columbus.
During this journey, many of Hernández's men were killed. Most died in a big battle near the town of Champotón against a Maya army. Hernández himself was hurt. He died just a few days after returning to Cuba. Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a soldier on the expedition, wrote a famous book about their adventures.
This expedition was the first time Europeans met what they saw as an "advanced civilization" in the Americas. The Maya had strong buildings and a complex society, similar to those in Europe. The Spanish also hoped to find gold in this new land.
Before this trip, not much is known about Hernández de Córdoba. He was from Spain but lived in Cuba, suggesting he had been part of the Spanish takeover of the island. He was also quite rich. He owned land and a Native American village, and he helped pay for his expedition to Mexico.
Why Did They Go?
Bernal Díaz del Castillo's writings give us the most details about Hernández de Córdoba's voyage. Bernal was there for the whole trip. He said that he and about a hundred other Spaniards wanted to "occupy themselves." These soldiers had been in Cuba for three years and felt they "hadn't done a single thing worth the telling."
It seems that one of the main reasons for the trip was to find Native Americans to work on farms or in mines in Cuba. Many Spaniards in Cuba, including Bernal, didn't have enough workers and wanted to become landowners.
Bernal explains that he and other restless Spaniards first asked to go to Cuba from Panama. Once in Cuba, Governor Diego Velázquez promised them Native American workers. But after three years, they still didn't have them. So, they decided to join Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, who was a rich man with his own Native American village in Cuba. He agreed to be their captain to "discover new lands and in them to employ ourselves."
Governor Velázquez also wanted to be part of the project. He lent money to build a ship. But he had a condition: they had to go to some small islands between Cuba and Honduras (now called Los Guanajes) and capture Native Americans to use as slaves. Bernal Díaz del Castillo said they refused, telling the governor that it was "not the command of God nor king, to make free men into slaves." He claims the governor accepted their refusal and still lent them the money.
It's important to remember that Bernal wrote his story about 50 years after these events. He wanted the Spanish Crown to recognize his and his fellow soldiers' efforts. So, he might have tried to make their original goal seem more noble than just capturing people.
Other writers from that time were more direct. They said Hernández's expedition was sent to get Native Americans for forced labor because the population in Cuba was shrinking. However, the presence of Antón de Alaminos, a very skilled pilot, suggests the trip was also about discovery. It seems the expedition likely had both goals in mind: finding new lands and possibly capturing people for labor.
Exploring Yucatán: The "Great Cairo"
On February 8, 1517, the expedition left Havana, Cuba. They had two warships and a smaller ship called a brigantine, with over 100 men. Francisco Hernández de Córdoba was the captain, and Antón de Alaminos was the main pilot.
They sailed along the coast of Cuba for 12 days. After that, they sailed into the open sea. They faced a terrible storm for two days and nights, which made it hard to know where they were.
After the storm, they had 21 days of good weather. Then, they saw land! Close to the coast, they saw the first large town with solid buildings that Europeans had ever seen in the Americas. The Spanish called this city El gran Cairo (The Great Cairo), because it reminded them of the large cities they knew about in the Middle East. They were amazed because they had never seen such a large town in Cuba or other Spanish settlements.
This moment is considered the discovery of Yucatán, and even of Mexico. However, Hernández's men were not the very first Spaniards to step on Yucatán. In 1511, a Spanish ship had wrecked near the coast, and some survivors had lived there. Two of these shipwrecked sailors, Jerónimo de Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero, were living in the area and spoke the Mayan language. But Hernández's discovery was intentional, not an accident like the shipwreck.
The two smaller ships went ahead to see if they could anchor safely near the shore. On March 4, 1517, they met the Native Americans of Yucatán for the first time. The locals came in ten large canoes, using both sails and oars. They seemed friendly and used signs to communicate. They told the Spanish that more canoes would come the next day to bring them to land.
The Names Yucatán and Catoche
The first peaceful meeting between the Spanish and the Native Americans on March 4 led to the names Yucatán and Catoche. There's a famous story, which might be a legend, about how these names came about. The story says that the Spanish asked the Native Americans what the land was called. The Native Americans replied, "I don't understand what you said," or "those are our houses." The Spanish then named the land based on what they thought they heard: Yucatán (meaning "I don't understand you") for the whole area, and Catoche (meaning "our houses") for the settlement and cape where they landed.
A friar named Diego de Landa wrote that Catoche comes from cotoch, meaning "our houses" or "our homeland." But he didn't confirm that Yucatán meant "I don't understand."
Bernal Díaz del Castillo also wrote about this. He agreed that Catoche meant "our houses." But for Yucatán, he had a different story. He said that two Native Americans captured in a battle, Julián and Melchior, were talking to the Spanish in Cuba. They spoke about bread. The Spanish said their bread was made of "yuca" (a plant called cassava). The Maya said their bread was called "tlati." From hearing "yuca" and "tlati" repeated, the Spanish wrongly thought the land was called Yuca-tán.
It's likely that the "I don't understand" story was first told by another friar, Toribio de Benavente. He wrote that the Native Americans responded "Tectetán, Tectetán," meaning "I don't understand you." The Spanish then misheard it as Yucatán. This story is very popular, but its exact truth is still debated.
Battle of Catoche and Discovery of Campeche
The next day, as promised, the Native Americans returned with more canoes to take the Spanish ashore. The Spanish were worried because the shore was full of many natives. Even so, they landed, but they were very careful. They brought their own small boats and armed themselves with crossbows and muskets.
Their fears were quickly confirmed. The chief had set a trap. As the Spanish approached the town, they were attacked by many Native Americans. They used pikes, shields, slings, and bows and arrows. They also wore cotton armor. The Spanish, with their swords, crossbows, and firearms, managed to scare the larger Native American force away and get back to their ships. This was the first time they were injured on the expedition.
During this battle, two important things happened. First, the Spanish captured two Native Americans, who were later named Julián and Melchior. These two became the first Maya language interpreters for the Spanish on later expeditions. Second, a priest named González explored a pyramid and some religious buildings. He found pieces that were "half of gold, and the rest copper." This discovery made the Spanish in Cuba very excited about finding gold.
At least two Spanish soldiers died from their injuries in this battle.
After the battle, Antón de Alaminos made sure they sailed slowly and carefully, only during the day. He was sure that Yucatán was an island. The biggest problem for the travelers was a lack of fresh drinking water. Their water containers were old and leaked. So, Hernández de Córdoba's ships desperately needed to find more water on land. The Spanish had already noticed that the region seemed to have no freshwater rivers.
Fifteen days after the battle at Catoche, the expedition landed to get water near a Maya village. They called it Lázaro (because they landed on St. Lazarus' Sunday). Bernal Díaz del Castillo later clarified that its real name was Campeche. Again, Native Americans approached them, seeming peaceful. The Spanish, now cautious, kept a strong guard. During this meeting, the locals said a strange word: "Castilan." The Spanish later realized this was their own word for themselves, "Castilian." They thought the Native Americans knew this word because of the shipwrecked sailors from 1511. Unknown to Hernández's men, the two survivors, Jerónimo de Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero, were living only a few days' walk away. The Spanish wouldn't learn about them until Hernán Cortés's expedition two years later.
The Spanish found a well used by the Native Americans for fresh water and filled their containers. The Native Americans, still appearing friendly, led them to their village. There, the Spanish saw more strong buildings and many idols. They also met the first priests, who wore white robes and had long hair covered in human blood. This was when the friendly behavior ended. The priests gathered many warriors and set fire to some dry reeds. They told the Spanish that if they weren't gone before the fire went out, they would be attacked. Hernández's men quickly retreated to their boats with their water, safely leaving Campeche behind.
Champotón: The "Coast of the Evil Battle"
They sailed for about six days in good weather, and then four more days in a storm that nearly destroyed their ships. Their fresh drinking water was gone again because of the leaky containers. In a desperate situation, they stopped to get water in a place Bernal sometimes called Potonchán and sometimes Champotón. This is where a river meets the sea. As they filled their jugs, they found themselves surrounded by many Native Americans. They spent the night on land, taking many precautions and staying alert.
This time, the Spanish decided not to run away like they did in Campeche. They needed water, and retreating seemed more dangerous than fighting. They decided to stay and fight. But the battle went very badly for them. At dawn, they were greatly outnumbered. Bernal said there were 80 injured Spaniards very early in the fight. Considering there were only about a hundred men in the expedition, they were close to being wiped out. The Native American forces kept getting new fighters. At first, the Spanish swords, crossbows, and muskets surprised them, but now the Native Americans kept their distance. They specifically attacked Hernández de Córdoba, who was hit by twelve arrows. The Spanish also learned that their opponents tried to capture people alive. Two Spanish soldiers were taken prisoner and likely sacrificed later.
Finally, with only one Spanish soldier unharmed, the captain almost unconscious, and the Native American attacks increasing, the Spanish decided their only choice was to form a tight group and fight their way to their small boats. They had to leave their water jugs behind. Luckily, the Native Americans had not damaged their boats. As the Spanish retreated, the Native Americans attacked them with arrows, stones, and pikes, trying to make them fall into the water. The survivors of Hernández's men had to swim or cling to the boats to reach their ships.
The Spanish lost 57 companions, including the two who were captured alive. The survivors were badly injured, except for one soldier named Berrio. Five more men died in the following days and were buried at sea.
The Spanish called this place the "La Costa de Mala Pelea" or "coast of the evil battle." This name appeared on maps for many years.
Thirst and the Return via Florida
The expedition had returned to their ships without the fresh water they desperately needed. Also, their crew was now much smaller, with over 50 men lost, many of them sailors. This made it impossible to operate three ships. They burned the smallest ship at sea after taking its sails, anchors, and ropes for the other two ships.
The thirst became unbearable. Bernal wrote that their "mouths and tongues were cracked." Some soldiers were so desperate that they drank salty water at a place they called El Estero de los Lagartos (Alligator Creek) because of the many alligators there.
The pilots decided to sail to Florida instead of directly back to Cuba. Alaminos remembered exploring Florida with Juan Ponce de León and thought it was the safest route. However, he warned his companions that the Native Americans in Florida were very warlike. When twenty men, including Bernal and Alaminos, landed in Florida to find water, they were attacked. This time, they won the fight, but Bernal was injured for the third time, and Alaminos was hit by an arrow in the neck. One soldier, Berrio (the only one unharmed at Champotón), disappeared. But the rest managed to get back to the boat with fresh water. One soldier drank so much water that he swelled up and died a few days later.
With fresh water, they headed to Havana in their two remaining ships. The ships were damaged and leaking, and some sailors refused to work the pumps. Despite these difficulties, they managed to complete their voyage and land in the port of Carenas (Havana).
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba barely made it back to Cuba. He died within days of reaching port from his severe injuries and the extreme thirst he suffered during the voyage. He was also disappointed that Governor Velázquez had chosen Juan de Grijalva to lead the next expedition to Yucatán instead of him.
What Happened Next
The discovery of El Gran Cairo in March 1517 was a very important moment for the Spanish. Until then, they hadn't found anything in the Americas that matched the grand stories of explorers like Marco Polo. The news, objects, and people Hernández brought back to Cuba quickly led to more expeditions.
The governor, Diego Velázquez, put his relative Juan de Grijalva in charge of the second expedition in 1518. The news that this "island" of Yucatán had gold, especially from Julián, the Maya prisoner, fueled the next events. This led to the third expedition in 1519, led by Hernán Cortés, which resulted in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish colonization of Mexico. Hernández de Córdoba did not live to see these events; he died in 1517.
See also
