Cortés was a Spanish explorer. He had taken part in the conquest of Cuba a few years earlier. In 1519 he set sail from Cuba for Central America. Like other conquistadors, he hoped to spread the Catholic religion. He also hoped to get rich. Moctezuma’s gifts caught Cortés’s attention. He found a native woman, whom the Spanish called Marina, to serve as his translator and guide.

Then he set off with his men toward the Aztec capital. As he journeyed west, Cortés marched through areas the Aztec had conquered. The people in these areas had been forced to pay tribute to the Aztec. They had also watched their young men dragged off to Tenochtitlán to be offered as sacrifices. Many of the conquered people Cortés met hoped the newcomers would help them get revenge on the Aztec.