The first letter from New Spain : the lost petition of Cortés and his company, June 20, 1519
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The first letter from New Spain : the lost petition of Cortés and his company, June 20, 1519
（Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long series in Latin American and Latino art and culture）
University of Texas Press, 2014
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Note
Study in English; letter in English accompanied by a facsimile of the original in Spanish
Includes bibliographical references (p. 271-275) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The founding of la Villa Rica de la Veracruz (the rich town of the True Cross) is prominently mentioned in histories of the conquest of Mexico, but scant primary documentation of the provocative act exists. During a research session at the Spanish archives, when John Schwaller discovered an early-sixteenth-century letter from Veracruz signed by the members of Cortes's company, he knew he had found a trove of historical details. Providing an accessible, accurate translation of this pivotal correspondence, along with in-depth examinations of its context and significance, The First Letter from New Spain gives all readers access to the first document written from the mainland of North America by any European, and the only surviving original document from the first months of the conquest.
The timing of Cortes's Good Friday landing, immediately before the initial assault on the Aztec Empire, enhances the significance of this work. Though the expedition was conducted under the authority of Diego Velazquez, governor of Cuba, the letter reflects an attempt to break ties with Velazquez and form a strategic alliance with Carlos V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. Brimming with details about the events surrounding Veracruz's inception and accompanied by mini-biographies of 318 signers of the document-socially competitive men who risked charges of treason by renouncing Velazquez-The First Letter from New Spain gives evidence of entrepreneurship and other overlooked traits that fueled the conquest.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction
John F. Schwaller
Chapter 2. A Synopsis of the Conquest of Mexico
John F. Schwaller and Helen Nader
Chapter 3. The Veracruz Petition in Historiographical Context
John F. Schwaller
Chapter 4. Description of the Veracruz Petition
Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller
Chapter 5. Facsimile, Transcription, and Translation of the Veracruz Petition
Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller
Chapter 6. The Members of the Company: A Prosopographical Essay
John F. Schwaller
Chapter 7. Biographies of the Signatories of the Veracruz Petition
John F. Schwaller
Chapter 8. Conclusions
John F. Schwaller
Appendix. Signatories of the 1520 Segura de la Frontera Letter
Notes
Bibliography
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"
