Hernan Cortes (1485-1547) was a Spanish conquistador famous for spearheading the conquest of the Aztec Empire. He arrived in the "New world" as early as 1504, and spent these early years in Hispaniola and Cuba. In 1519 he sailed west, in pursuit of glory and gold, landing on the coast of present day Veracruz. With his translator, a Nahua woman named Marina he was able to build an alliance of tribes and cities who were discontent with Aztec rule, and together they toppled them in 1521, culminating in the bloody siege of Tenochtitlan. On the ruins was built "New Spain" a colony of the Spanish crown and predecessor-state of Mexico. In his later life Cortes spent much of his wealth on further expeditions before finally settling down in Spain, by the time of his death in 1547 he was heavily in debt. His body was returned to New Spain, and moved around several times before being lost at the time of Mexico's independence, only being rediscovered a century later in 1946. He remains one of history's most controversial figures, despised by many for his role in the destruction of Aztec civilization, while praised by others as the founder of an empire and nation.

Hernan had several children including Martin Cortes. Martin was the son of Marina, and is often described as the first Mestizo. He was born out of marriage, but Hernan was able to successfully petition the pope to legitimize him. Martin became a knight of the Order of Santiago, the highest of honors in Spain, and also became a royal page to King Philip II who he accompanied into battle in Flanders and England. Hernan also had a child with the daughter of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, Tecuichpoch Ixcaxochitzin also known as Isabel. Their child, Leonor inherited much wealth from her parents, and later married the conquistador Juan de Tolosa.